Breaking Shells
by NeverKue
Summary: Ami's life is routine. Everything's going as scheduled and she's content with it. But every time Hotaru walks into the room, things go awry. So why is she so drawn to her? HotAmi. (A sequel is in the works!)
1. Temper

"Well.. I guess that's.. all of it."  
Closing her book for good, the bluenette swallowed deeply. The sudden lull in conversation made her nervous. Her eyes swept over the younger woman sitting beside her appraisingly. In truth, Hotaru didn't _need_ her tutoring. But Haruka had come and asked Ami personally, so she wasn't going to deny a fellow soldier. In hindsight, it probably had a lot more to do with Hotaru being as much as a genius recluse as herself, but she doubted anyone had thought _this_ would happen.

The thought sent a hot blush searing through her features as she felt the younger woman regarding her, a studying expression on her features. Then Hotaru was leaning closer, the world frozen around them and Ami's eyes locked with deep pools of dark shades of purple.

_No... I shouldn't...  
_Delicate lips gently landed on her own, hushing every protest she might have had on her mind. Against her screaming instincts, Ami melted into it. She leaned her head for better access, bringing a hand up to lay it upon the soft skin of the woman's neck.

And then in an instant, the whole world shattered around her. She dimly registered the sound of a sliding door. Her head snapped around so fast the world was a blur. She tried to pull her hands away, but their bodies were too deeply entangled. A gasp, a curse, and then she was staring at Haruka's face; the lines of rage coloring her features darker than she'd ever seen before and she was bearing down on her.

A sickening slap, deafening to the silence around them and then all she knew was the white-hot pain. It seared through her face, crawling, hot and burning across her features. The shock of it was making her numb.

_"Papa!"_

Another curse and the shuffle of feet, the soothing whispers of Michiru wafting to her ears. Ami dimly realized she was laying on the floor, her hand gingerly testing her swollen cheek. Her vision was swimming from the pain, and she opened them blearily to see Hotaru bending over her, concern on her features.  
"Are you okay?"

A cough escaped her, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Her voice sounded alien even to herself, raspy with pain. "S'okay. I think we may have surprised her." The bluenette tried to smile up at her, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain, the motion pulling painfully at the already throbbing muscles.

"Taru, com-"  
Haruka's angry voice was immediately cut through with a calming shush, one that seemed too calm for the current situation.

_Michi,_ she thought. Gratefulness filled her features and she laid her head back tiredly. Her vision was filled with the angry slant of Hotaru's eyes, taking in something out of her line of vision. The voice of the younger girl was cold and seemed to have a sobering effect on the room. It was easy to forget how dangerous the unassuming body before her could be.

"_Hold on._"  
She blinked up at glimmering purples, the concern clean on them and her words a whisper. "Let me see."

Ami shook her head, her logic taking over the pain. Haruka was seething, and Michiru was barely containing her. The bluenette tried to wave Hotaru off. "No, it's oka-"

_"I'll stain your other cheek."_ Hotaru's voice was cold and hard with anger, her impatience seething in frustration.

Ami only gulped and nodded, relenting in submission and letting the hand on cheek fall away. It was eerie, the way that Hotaru could switch between modest Hotaru and something... more. She knew it was Hotaru's protectiveness over her that was pulling the threats from her mouth, but it was unnerving just the same.

"Hime-chan, it's time to go." Haruka's voice was laced with anger, her temper very near its breaking point. Only Michiru was keeping this situation under control. To add to the tension, her gentle voice was wafting through the room, sing-song but thick.

"Ho-chan, I think it's best if-"

"_Give. us. a minute._" The responding voice that cut through the air was that of Saturn's, not the youngest girl in the room. It left absolutely no room for argument and she could even hear the motions outside her field of vision still. In the back of her head, Ami smiled at the irony of it all. Hotaru was, after all, her papa's daughter.

A thick gulp, but otherwise there was no response. And then soft purples were falling to her own features again, the anger in them gone as a soft hand laid itself on Ami's cheek, Hotaru's words a gentle whisper. "Here, let me help..."

Ami closed her eyes, the warm light bathing over her swollen features. It was almost burning hot, but in a weird way it didn't hurt. And then the hot light was fading from her face, and the pain was gone where once it had been. Already, the pounding thrum of it was fading, the flow of blood inside her mouth seemed to slow. Ami blinked. "Wow... Thanks."

Hotaru only smiled down at her, her eyes glancing away to catch something only she could see. A conflicted smile fell to her features and then darkened.  
"I... I should go."

Ami only nodded quietly up at her, and suddenly the warmth disappeared. She sat up wordlessly, shock still on her features and Hotaru gathered up her books and was walking away in what seemed like an instant. Haruka set possessive arms around her daughter, shooting a stony, unapologetic look to Ami before turning wordlessly. She wrapped both arms around her daughter's shoulders in a death grip, forcing the girl to walk in front of her. Michiru cast an apologetic look over her shoulder, then turned her attention back to keeping a firm hold on her girlfriend's arm, lest the racer turn her wrath back on Ami again.

The flustered bluenette just sat there, alone in the room as the silence settled around her. With a jerk, she started to jam her books frantically into her bag, her eyes roving over surfaces in a hurried, alarmed rush.  
"Hey... what happened in here?"

At Rei's confused voice, Ami's eyes snapped around, surprise clear on her features. She took in the woman standing in front of her in a quick, assessing sweep. _How long had she been out there? How much had she heard?_ The miko stood with confusion and worry clear on her features, a slight glint of sweat on her forehead as she leaned on her broom, lightly panting. Ami gulped.  
"Uhh...What?"

Rei padded in quietly, leaning broom on door as she shuffled in.  
"Haruka. Michiru dragged her outta here as if she had seen Seiya or something. You okay?"

Ami let her eyes fall to the floor guiltily, slowing in her motions as she dropped another book into her bag and closing it slowly, purposely drawing out her motions.  
"Yeah.. it's nothing. Haruka's just been having a pretty bad day."

A pause, and she could feel the miko studying her.  
"...Oh..?"

Ami nodded. "Yeah, I-.. I should go. I'll see you around." With that, she brushed past the woman before she could pry any deeper and disappeared to the solace of the streets.


	2. Just A Peck

Ami sighed in frustration, running a hand through already messy locks. Her eyes furrowed in thought, going over the same equation she'd been staring at for the last ten minutes. _Where was her mind today? _The girls around her seemed to be in a similar state of mind. A sigh was heard beside her, and Mina stretched in her peripheral as a slap of pencil against paper came from Makoto's direction. Usagi, following the example of the others, quickly slammed her book shut with bleary eyes and let out an overzealous yawn.

"Hey Ames, where's Hotaru today?" Ami's eyes widened, swiveling her head around to meet Makoto's gaze.

"Why would I know where Hotaru is?"  
She flinched internally. Why had her voice just jumped three octaves?

Makoto blinked back at her before recovering.  
"Ahhh.. I dunno... Just figured? You two hang out a lot?"

To her horror, her voice jumped even higher into her throat.  
"We just study together, that's all. We don't keep track of each other, or anything like that!"

The room sat in stunned silence around her. She could feel the hot blush covering her cheeks. Yet, for some reason, she kept talking. It was like word vomit.

"We're friends! We meet and study, because Haruka asked me to! I help her, that's what friends do, right? Why would I know why she's not here, when she hasn't canceled? And she IS old enough to do as she pleases!"

Every face in the room sweat-dropped. A silence enveloped them all, and the door slid open, displaying a perky Hotaru grinning at the girls cheekily.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late."

* * *

Setsuna blinked, the reverberant of the door echoing off the halls. A second later, it was echoed by another and another, the trailing of doors following the length of the hall. The sandy haired woman walked into the living room with a frustrated huff, a low growl and wearing an angry frown. Setsuna tilted her head slightly, plucking with a lazy hand on the corner of her comfy blanket, the remote resting on her stomach. She curiously watched the other woman duck behind the couch, lifting up the flap to peer underneath and let out another angry huff.

The time-guardian blinked.  
_"What_ are you doing?"

The racer jumped, apparently completely unaware of her comrade sitting above her. With a displaced grunt, she sat up on knees, regarding the woman with an air of someone who had been disturbed.  
"...Nothing."

Setsuna blinked, waiting for elaboration but none came. Instead, she watched with an air of curiosity as the racer simply stared back, almost daring her to inquire further. Her curiosity piqued, the time guardian bit, raising an eyebrow in apprehension.  
"...Are we.. missing something?"

"No." Haruka's eyes narrowed back at her. With a wave of a dismissive hand she stood, her eyes averting as she elaborated. "...I can't find Hotaru."

A ghost of a smile tugged at Setsuna's lips, but she cleared her throat before Haruka caught it. "So... you're looking.. underneath the couch?"

Haruka's mouth went agape, an angry color flashing over her face, but Setsuna waved a hand, cutting her off before she had a chance to explain. _Better to not let her answer that_, she figured, as she plunged on. "Today's Thursday, is it not?"

Haruka's eyebrows furrowed. She let out a wordless nod, but already a frown was covering her features as if she didn't like where the conversation was heading. Uninterrupted, the Guardian of Time continued. "...Soooooo... Isn't Hotaru at study sessions with the Inners on Thursdays?"

Haruka's face darkened into a flash of anger, then just as immediately fell back into a frown. As if on cue, Michiru washed into the room, draping herself gently across an armrest as she regarded the two of them. "She left an hour ago. You didn't seem intent on driving her, so she said she was going to take the bus."

The racer's features turned into an expression of alarm and suddenly she was gone. Placidly, Setsuna watched as the woman grabbed the keys off their hook and Michiru was immediately at her lover's heel. "Hey! Wait for me!" Michiru's turquoise hair was flowing behind her as she reached an arm out, trying to slow her exit, and the door fell back shut behind them with a slam.

Setsuna paused for a second, the confusion clear on her features as she regarded the now silent house. "Huh." She picked up the remote, turning back to her show and laid her head back in its crook.

* * *

Rei furrowed her eyes in confusion, watching thoughtfully as their newest member took a seat next to Ami as per usual. The blush only seemed to crawl higher into the genius' cheeks. It seemed as if Ami was suddenly trying her absolute hardest to avoid looking at the younger girl she was so recently ranting about.

Hotaru almost buzzed in her seat though, pulling out her books with a hum and dutifully ignoring the looks that the entire room was casting about her. _Was she really that oblivious or was she just that good?_ She turned to Ami with a smile, pulling open a bookmarked page and pointing to it. "So... I was having trouble with this equation here. I can usually go through the equation just fine, but when I check it, I'll sometimes get a different answer."

Ami blinked at her and audibly swallowed as if expecting her to say something more. Hotaru only smiled innocently back at her, waiting. The blush on Ami's features visibly faded a few shades and her eyes took on a more comfortable, assessing look. "Ahh.. Hai.. Well, let's see what you have."

Rei blinked, letting her eyes glaze over to the rest of the group. Makoto was the first to return to her studies with a shrug, Rei following reluctantly. Usagi sneaked away and returned with one of Rei's manga in hand. She rolled her eyes at the princess' antics, but ignored her when nobody else noticed. Her eyes glanced across the table and found a pair of ceruleans waiting for her. Rei tried to shake her head, hinting her to get back to work, but a slow, devilish grin spread across Mina's features. A glitter fell to the blonde's eyes, and her gaze slid first over to Ami and then to Hotaru next to her, before she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Rei shot her a withering look and went back to work. To her surprise, Minako did the same as well, leaving the two students to their peace aside for an occasional suspicious glance.

The door shot open, rattling in its track, pulling the attention of the otherwise quiet room up to its newest occupants. Ami and Hotaru, sitting with their backs to the sliding door, visibly jumped and turned their heads, eyes wide in alarm. The color in Ami's face drained away.

Haruka stood there with crossed arms, her eyes falling directly to Ami who immediately seemed to shrink away from the cold glance. Michiru poised casually, a silent wave to the room with an elbow hooked into her lover's. The racer leaned against the door-frame, almost filling the frame with her presence. Before anyone else had quite registered their entrance, Hotaru was filling up her bag, bubbly and care-free.  
"Hey, Haruka-papa! Well, I guess that's my cue, so I'll see everyone next week!"

As Ami turned away, a gentle hand caused her to pause mid-motion, the bluenette's eyes widening in surprise. Soft fingers trailed along jawline, and a quick kiss fell to her cheek. Rei blinked. It happened so quickly, she was left wondering if she had imagined it. Hotaru was already bouncing up with a smile, throwing her bag over her shoulder, and Ami's face was turning crimson. Michiru was hiding a giggle behind a hand, and Haruka's gaze was stony as she stared daggers into the back of Ami's head. The door slid shut with Hotaru leaning happily into her papa's arms. As quickly as they had come, they were gone.

The room bathed in silence, Ami's blush turning so hot Rei was worried she would ignite the very floor she sat on. Every mouth in the room was agape, wordless questions on everyone's lips.

"Shallow water runs the deepest."

While Rei still tried to process the situation and Minako's sudden quirk, Ami blinked and corrected her, seemingly on auto-pilot.  
"Still waters, Mina. It goes 'Still waters run deep'."

Rei couldn't help but grin, catching up to the rest of the room. "They sure do."

Ami blinked again, then her eyes widened, as her gears began once again to turn.  
"I-.. I mean-..!"

Makoto cleared her throat as Ami's desperate aquas fell on her.  
"Hey Ames, what's that formula you were showing me earlier? Can you walk me through it again? I get confused with all the cosines.."

The bluenette paused, as if waiting for some hidden blade to fall upon her. The room only waited in patient silence, and Ami visibly gathered herself, her eyes and pose taking on a familiar, confident pose.  
"Ahh, yeah. You have to be careful with them..."

The room seemed to breathe again. The uncomfortable air around them dissipating as the group fell back into their usual roles.


	3. Grounded

"Nuh-uh."

Hotaru froze, one foot already out the vehicle and frozen above the pavement. She looked up to see her Papa staring her down through the rear-view, Michiru exiting the car with a soft smile.

"You, stay."

Passing through the door connecting the garage to the house, Michiru winked over her shoulder at Hotaru, who just rolled her eyes back. With a deep sigh, Hotaru pushed herself out of the car and waited for her Papa to exit as well. Expectantly, she regarded Haruka, but the tomboy wordlessly walked towards her other car and leaned underneath the already raised hood. Hotaru still stood there waiting, but the racer said nothing.

With a huff, she put her hands on her hips and walked to the opposite side of the hood. "Yes?!" She knew Haruka was angry. She had seen it all over the features, in the silence on the ride home. Why couldn't she just yell at her and be done with it?

Haruka didn't answer for a moment. Instead, her eyes stayed focused on whatever she was poking at underneath the hood. When she finally did speak, her voice was calm and even. "Go to the tool box and grab me that alternator kit. I can feel the gauges jumping on her."

With a huff, she rolled her eyes and pulled the package out of its drawer. "Here."

They just stared at each other across the car. They both seemed to be waiting for something, but neither knew what. Finally, Haruka broke the silence. "Well, don't just hand it to to me like that. Get the package open. And grab me a 10 mm. I need to get this old one out first."

* * *

She entered the room with a soft sigh, glad to not be in the middle of _that_ argument. Setsuna raised an eyebrow in greeting, her form leaning against kitchen counter as she sipped from a steaming mug.

Michiru couldn't help but grin.  
"She's growing up on us."

"Growing."  
Setsuna never was one for many words. She took another sip, waiting for the Sea Goddess to continue.

Michiru moved to stand beside the Time Guardian, grabbing the steaming cup that sat waiting. She drew in the soft scent of it before taking a sip and continuing.  
"Apparently, our Hotaru has become of age. And she's set her sights determinedly on our Mercury."

* * *

"...-who's not only 3 years older than you, but also should know better! Instead she-... And you! You should be much more careful around that girl!"

Haruka grunted, the ratchet slipping off the bolt in her quick motions, knocking her knuckles against hard metal. "Dammit..." The sudden pain paused her motions. She massaged the throbbing bone for a moment as she regarded her daughter across the hood, who was still staring at her darkly. She stopped in her motions, waiting for a response.  
"...Well?"

She said nothing, instead pulled the ratchet out of her hand, replaced the socket with a smaller one and handed it back.

* * *

"Well. You wouldn't believe what we saw when we picked Hotaru up from session last week. Just a regular day like any other. We're running a little late, so we take our time getting up all the steps... Haruka slides the door open and just like that- front row seats to our little baby's first kiss."

Setsuna coughed, choking on her last sip of tea.

Michiru smiled and continued.  
"Ahhh, what a surprise. It was so sweet, and Hotaru seemed to be enjoying it so much. And then, Haruka spoiled the entire moment. Her reaction time is shorter, you know. So she just waltzes in before they even notice us there and slaps poor Ami right out of it."

* * *

"...-corrupting my little girl!"

CLOooonOONg..

Haruka whipped her head around in time to watch the ratchet's extender fall to the floor and dance across the cement before sliding to a stop. "Hey!" She turned her figure fully around to see the fresh dent that had appeared in the garage door. "Watch what you're doing!"

She turned back to her daughter to see the girl matching her stare with one equally as steely. It was easy to write off the small-framed girl as unassuming; that is, until those eyes settled with ice and focused on her. Her daughter crossed her arms scoldingly and spoke for the first time.

"You didn't have to _hit_ her."

* * *

"She did what?"

"Yep. Opened the door and slapped her right to the ground, _Bam_."

It wasn't very often that Setsuna was shocked, but right now she was. Michiru took the opportunity to continue, feeling slightly proud of this accomplishment.  
"She froze there for a second. I think we all did. Especially Ruka, I think she just stopped there while the entire room realized she had just hit a fellow senshi, a friend. But then Hotaru bent over to check on Ami, and that just sent her into another rage. She tried to go after her again, but I pulled her back."

The shock ran so deep that Setsuna had to place her cup down on something solid. "You mean, she was going to try and hit her _again_?"

"She would have, I think. I'm not sure if even she knew what she was doing. I took advantage of her stumbling over her own feet in her fury and pulled her back."

* * *

"Don't you tell me what I can and can't do! Ami's behavior was completely inappropriate, with her hands all over my daughter like that! I asked her to help you study, and this is what I walk in on! How long has this been going on? And to think, I went to Ami specifically, because I thought she would be the only one that wouldn't get distracted or distract you! I _trusted_ her!"

* * *

"Wow."  
Setsuna had to brace herself against the counter in her consternation.

"Yep." Michiru took another sip, placidly, before continuing on. "You know, she is her papa's daughter. Honestly, even if I hadn't been basically wrapping myself around Ruka to ground her, Ho-chan's stare alone would have been enough to stop her in her tracks. Made us wait right there until she had healed Ami's cheek back up. I wanted to get Ruka out of there as fast as possible, but Hotaru wasn't having any of it. I didn't know she had been growing into her powers so well, but there you go. Once Ami's cheek was all healed up, she packed up her stuff and _then_ we were allowed to go. I wanted to stop and check on Ami too, but I was more worried about getting Ruka away."

* * *

"And, what happened today? Like I didn't make it clear enough that you shouldn't be alone with her? Not to mention being anywhere even close to her! I don't take you, and you decide to just take it upon yourself!? Don't you understand rules!"

* * *

Michiru smiled wickedly. "Oh, our little Saturn has a mind of her own. Ruka decided not to take her to study today, as I'm sure you noticed. So, the clever girl takes the bus instead. Ruka couldn't stop ranting the whole way there, screaming about rules and boundaries. She never even _told_ Hotaru she wasn't allowed to go to the meetings anymore. So, we get there alive in one piece somehow (thank Kami, she races for a living), and by the time we get up to the top of the steps, she seems to have burnt most her anger off. Plus, we get there thankfully early, so all the other senshi are still there. Not really the perfect scenery for hokey romance, you know? And little Hoti-chan, she's as brave as they come. I can SEE them both freezing up the second we enter the room, but what does Hotaru do? Oh, she puts on a brave face, she looks at Ruka straight in the eye... and then, Smack. Gives Ami a kiss on the cheek, right in front of everyone. I couldn't be more proud of her." Here, she stopped for theatrical effect, waiting for Setsuna to push on.

"And then Haruka exploded again, right?"

"Hmm. Funny thing, that. I think the only way she managed not to throttle poor Ami upon first sight, was to not look at Ami. So she didn't. And the whole room saw it, but Haru-chan pretended it didn't happen. Then, Ho-chan packed up her bags and off we went."

* * *

"And, here's another rule that you'd better take to heart, young lady! For your own safety you will _not_ leave this house anymore! You are grounded!"

"...Are you done?"

"YES! Go to your room!"

* * *

A door slammed and the two women paused, listening. Small feet pounded up the stairs and stopped with another slam at Hotaru's room. The two of them exchanged knowing looks.

Michiru raised an eyebrow as she finished off her tea.  
"The sad thing is, it's clear Ruka's putting this whole thing on Ami's shoulders."

The taller woman couldn't help the quirk of a grin that pulled at her lips.  
"Who would've thought, huh?"

The Sea Goddess pushed herself off the counter and placed the cup down with a clunk.  
"Considering the two parties involved, who do you think made the first move?"

Setsuna said nothing, only nodded back as Michiru gracefully danced out the kitchen.  
"Anyway, better go put out some fires..."


	4. Education

_Ding-dong._

Michiru was the first to the door, pulling it open with a flourish. She stepped aside, making room for the large group to enter.  
"Hey, girls. Hotaru's upstairs grabbing her books. Why don't you come in and get settled."

The group of Inners filed in rather excitedly, aside for Ami who hung at the back with an air of nervousness about her. The room was filled with greetings and laughter as the inners settled in. It took a bit of acclimation to settle into their new surroundings; but the sudden noise must have been what lured Haruka from the garage.

The door to the garage opened with such force that it slammed against the wall and swung back almost as hard. It was stopped from falling completely back shut by a tarnished foot blocking its path. The door swung open again, almost serenely, revealing a very disgruntled, very angry Haruka watching the group of people occupying her living room.

Hotaru entered the room at the exact moment Haruka had appeared on its opposite side. Haruka's eyes danced in their sockets, taking in each of the intruders before settling darkly on her daughter, who already had a steady gaze settled on her.  
"Why are there Inners in my living room?"

Hotaru stared back for a long moment, as if testing her. Eventually Hotaru opened her mouth to speak, but Michiru casually cut her off.

"I invited them here so Hotaru-chan can study."

The racer's eyes narrowed.  
"But she's _grounded_."

A lofty smile graced the elegant woman's features.  
"Of course she is. Which is why Sets called them and asked them to study here."

Haruka opened her mouth with a reprimand on the tip of her tongue, but bit it back with grinding teeth as Setsuna entered the room, choosing to regard the Time Guardian instead.  
"And I'm sure you're completely clueless here."

Setsuna's gaze grew airy as she took in the scene before her, the surprise a bit too strong in her voice to be convincing.  
"I am not at liberty to say, nor would I have been allowed to change any events had I been aware of their occurrence."

The Time-Guardian's presence acted like a fresh breeze upon the room, perking up all of its inhabitants and pulling the taut stances out of their backs.  
"In the meantime, Hotaru. Why don't you go get our guests some snacks?"

The young girl nodded, dropping her book-bag next to where Ami sat and trotting into the next room. Ami watched her with dark eyes, following her figure inside the kitchen through the pass-through. With a shake of her head, the blue-haired girl turned her attention back to her books, spreading them out in front of her and situating her notes, as the other girls around her did the same.

Only a few moments later, Ami was pulled out of her thoughts by a very accentuated cough. When it sounded again, she looked up to find its origin, confusion clear on her features. Michiru smiled at her, her cool gaze already waiting. "Ami. I'm sure Hotaru-chan could use a hand."

She blinked, wondering if she had heard her right. A look around the room confirmed that Haruka had disappeared again, apparently back into the garage. Next to the study group surrounding the table in surprising quiet, Setsuna and Michiru leaned cooly against the pass-through, their backs to the kitchen. Dumbly, she nodded and stood, entering the other room with numb steps.

Hotaru was mindfully cutting sandwiches diagonally into triangles when Ami padded in. The girl smiled up at her briefly, before returning her attention to the task at hand and placing the last pair on a platter. "Papa grounded me last week. The first thing Mama did was to tell me she'd get everyone for the session. The study sessions are really the only time I go out, so I'm not missing anything but I'm still 'grounded'. That way Papa still wins, as Michi-mama put it."

Ami searched for words, regarding Hotaru for a moment. When none came, she just nodded and grabbed the plate from her, placing it on the pass-thru and returned to her side. The younger girl was pulling glasses from a tall cupboard. Ami carried the glasses she had been handed to the opposite side of the island counter, where she grabbed some ice from a prepared bowl and started dumping it into the glasses. "That's only eight..."

She heard the cough first, light and flighty. Her head turned just in time for her reflexes to take over, catching the object out of the air with deft, light fingers.

A glass.

"Where's Taru!?"

The racer's eyes were flashing over her, but she was already turning away, busying herself with filling the last glass noisily as she prayed the red wasn't coloring the back of her neck too.

"Ruka, you're NOT just walking on my carpet in those shoes!? You were just doing an oil change! Out, shoo, shoo!"

Ami wheeled, walking around the island counter, her eyes glued to the ground as she listened to the racer's retreating feet. The form of Hotaru sat huddled under the counter. Ami dared not let her eyes settle on her, for fear Haruka would notice, but as her eyes swept past the girl caught her with a beaming smile and a wink.

Ami placed the last of the glasses down with a thunk, to the melody of running feet and a slamming door. Hotaru's form bounced back up as if on springs. Gentle fingers entangled into the fabric of her collar before pulling them both back down just as fast. Ami blinked. She was staring at Hotaru in a crouch, the soft fingers warm at her neck and incredibly dark, purple eyes so close she could see her own reflection within them.

Soft lips laid themselves against her cheek. It wasn't rushed this time; she could feel the delicate touch, pressing tender but firm, the soft rush of air as the younger girl's breath brushed against her skin, the feathery tickle of silky hair against her neck. "Thanks for the help, precious."

And then she was alone in the room, blinking in disbelief. With a sigh, she raised her own body, grabbing a couple of waiting glasses and hoping no one would mention the deep red staining her cheeks.

* * *

"So, what _is_ differential calculus good for?"

Hotaru pulled her head back so Ami could take a look at her textbook, pushing a stray of hair out of her vision.

"You mean like... practical application? Well... for real-valued, one dimensional sourced and targeted functions... Simply said, it tells you how your graph runs. Basically, the first derivative of a function is to determine where and how often the graph meets the x-axis. Meaning, whenever the value for x in your formula produces a result of zero. That's why it's called the 'zero of a function'. Using the second derivative you can localize the stationary points, where your function stops increasing or decreasing, reaching its extremum. With the third derivative you can compute the coordinates of the inflection points, where your curve changes direction..."

"I see..."  
Hotaru nodded, and bent down to the next equation. Inwardly, she smiled at the fact that Ami didn't pull back completely. She leaned slightly into the warm body. The stiff posture of the girl's back was relaxing again, the melody of her voice taking on that easy, familiar rhythm. She liked it like this, when Ami's tensions just slipped away between them.

A familiar, harsh cough cut through the air. Immediately, the genius shot straight again into a perfect mannered posture. With a frustrated sigh, Hotaru rolled her eyes, then let them fall to the form of the racer sitting on the other side of the room, matching her gaze steadily. Michiru had a hand on the woman's leg, patting it gently, her mouth moving silently in words that only the racer could hear. _Never gonna get any_ _time alone..._

Dink Dink Dink Dink Dink Dink Dink Dink

Her eyes darted to the source of the noise, a pen cap tapping against a half-filled glass, then up to the princess herself, gnawing on lower lip and eyes squinted distractedly.

"Ah. and when inflection and stationary points coincide - like in this one - it's a saddle point, right?"  
Ami nodded, following along with her question. A small curve of a smile fell to Hotaru's lips but Ami didn't see it. She already knew the equation, but Ami didn't know that...

Next, her eye's fell to the Rei's still form. Her brow wore wrinkles of concentration and mixed frustration. The tapping pencil next to her was causing a twitch on her forehead, but she didn't seem to have noticed... As if on cue, the amethysts snapped up to catch Hotaru's regarding purples.

For a moment, the ticking in her forehead stopped as she regarded her silently across the table. Her eyes flew from Hotaru's still hand above paper, to Ami, still calmly prattling on next to her. Dark eyebrows shot into forehead questioningly, but Hotaru gave her a full grin, then a wink before dragging her eyes down to her paper.

"Does that explain it alright?"

She didn't try to hide the twinkle in her eye when she spoke this time.  
"Yeah... I think that explains it perfectly."

A giggle tittered across the table to her, and she rose eyes to see Mina waggling her eyebrows suggestively.  
"Sooooo... you've grown up pretty, haven't you?"

Hotaru raised an eybrow at her, but said nothing, waiting. The twinkle in the girl's eyes told her she had was getting to something 'good'.  
"Getting old enough to date yet?"

"NO-ow!" Her eyes shot up to see her papa, wincing as she cradled a tender rib and shooting Michiru a reproachful look.

Hotaru straightened her throat, turning her attention back to the blonde before her, a slow, reserved smile on her lips.  
"I think so."

A wicked grin spread over Minako's features.  
"So... got those pretty, enigmatic eyes set on someone in particular yet?"

This had officially turned into a game of wits and bravery, and she raised her chin the challenge. She abandoned her books completely, leaning forward over them, resting her chin on hand so she could match gazes.  
"Maybe."

Minako mirrored the position across from her, obviously enjoying the game.  
"That must mean you have a type."

She could feel the entire room's gaze on her, watching her every move. Even from the corner of her eye, she could see the hot blush glowing on Ami's face. It was as if the entire room had stopped breathing, had frozen around them. Only the high pitched tapping cut through, increasing in rapidity as the conversation went deeper.  
"...I guess, you could say, the quiet type."

Minako's mouth dropped open, more questions already forming on her lips. Hotaru could feel the girl next to her freeze up, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. Her attention was focused on Minako. An eyebrow raised, inviting, waiting for more questions. She leaned even further across the table, her mouth parting in a seductive smile as she ran her tongue across her teeth.

The humor had completely left Mina's features by now, lost in the game as she leaned further herself. Her eyes traveled up to the ceiling as if deep in thought.  
"Mmmmm, yeah. Like that kind that gets this particular look when they lose themselves in a good book? Maybe eve-"

A swash of color cut through the air, and Mina ducked just in time as something flew over her head.

"Stop that, will you!"

"Hey!"  
Minako's eyes glowered, matching gazes with the raven across from her.

"My peeeeen..."

Rei's anger settled on Usagi, who pushed her bottom lip out in full pout mode.  
"Oh, stop whining Meatball Head! It's not like you were even using it, unless you were gonna start a band. Have you studied anything since we got here?"

This only caused the blond to start blubbering helplessly.  
"I can't study when I'm huuuuungrrrrryyyy..." accentuated by a loud growl from her tummy-area.

"Who wants pizza?"  
The entire room turned bright eyes to Michiru, who was already standing with a bright smile, money in hand. Usagi's blubbers stilled, and she watched the woman with watered, hopeful eyes.

"Really?"

"Ruka-darling, three jumbo-pizzas, two L-sized salads and don't forget the extra-cheese."

Haruka's jaw dropped so quickly it almost hit the floor.  
"What?"

Michi smiled airly back at her, pulling her from her chair.  
"Here you go, dear." She pushed the car-keys into Haruka's hand, scooting her to the front door.

"Wait, no!"  
She tried to tried to turn back to fight, but Michiru was an unstoppable force.

"Okay, drive safe."  
A quick kiss and the door slammed with a resounding thud.

Hotaru giggled and for the first time turned her eyes back to Ami. Her face was a deep red and her widened eyes were burning into the table. Hotaru opened her mouth to say something, but the girl slipped gracefully away.

For a moment she paused, frowning to herself.

She lifted her eyes to see Mina watching her knowingly. She exchanged a glance, and with a sigh she lifted up herself and followed the form into the kitchen.

* * *

Ami sighed, entering the kitchen with heavy feet. She opened the fridge and the cold air escaped in wafts and puffs around her, blurring her vision. Instead of reaching for the orange juice, she dropped her form lower, sinking her head and letting the delightfully cool air brush against her heated face.

She never heard the soft pad of feet behind her.  
"Would you rather I stop?"

The only thing that saved the poor glass in her hand from a shattering death were her senshi reflexes. She jumped with a start, the glass slipping an inch in her grip before she tightened her hold again. She turned her head, her eyes still wide, to take in the casual form of Hotaru leaning with her back against counter, her arms crossed. Her slightly hunched over position forced her to look up at the bluenette.

Ami swallowed, taking a moment to close the refrigerator door before her. There was a familiar sadness, bared before her in those purple depths.

Ami didn't have words. Not that she was particularly great with them in such situations, anyhow. A thousand responses floated through her head in that short second. For some reason, the words that eventually fell from her lips were English, smooth and elegant.

"_Attraction_ _is a funny thing. One can thirst for_ _the chase of it rather than the prey. It's an intoxicating_ _hunt that leaves you lost and delirious_ _in its thrill._"

Hotaru blinked at her, gathering her thoughts. The frustration that she held upon first entering the room dropped away almost palpably. Her form straightened itself slightly, and she placed her hands on the counter behind her, bracing herself as she stared at the girl before her. Her response came out in perfect, minute English.

"_...and you're worried I'm just lost in the game._"

Ami nodded solemnly, neither taking a step either way. Her eyes stayed frozen to the girl in front of her, waiting.

Hotaru's eyes fell away, washing to the marble tile of the floor below them before returning to the deep gaze of Ami's aquas. The blue haired girl stood patient, waiting. Sometimes when Ami looked at her like that, she thought the girl could wait an eternity. She loved how she always gave her time to find the right words, letting her know the conversation held equal weight for both of them.

_"And what do you think?"_

Ami didn't speak. Instead, she took a step forward and leaned over Hotaru's form. With a clink she placed her glass down directly behind Hotaru's hand on the counter. A distinct air of determination surrounded Ami and she wore the same intense look that she had when she completely lost herself in text.

Freed of the glass, Ami's hand moved to cover Hotaru's. The touch was cool and refreshing as Ami's fingers tightened around her own in a firm grip. And then, those intense aquas settled on her, and Hotaru felt like drowning in them. She felt like one of Ami's equations; helpless but to be unraveled underneath her deep, definite gaze.

A cool hand laid itself against her heated cheek, and Hotaru found herself leaning into it, closing her eyes and enjoying the soft touch. She felt herself getting lost in the gentleness of the contact. A light caress on her hot skin, soothing her deep inside while at the same time making her knees go weak. Her eyes fluttered open again to see the aquas still boring into her, studying. Hotaru felt her own gaze soft on her features, enjoying the genius' undivided attention. Her hands moved on their own accord, freeing themselves, trailing their way up over Ami's shirt until they wrapped into the threads of her collar. The taller girl relented into the pull, taking a miniscule step until their hips brushed. A shiver of excitement washed over Hotaru as she became fully aware of the closeness of Ami's body. As if in slow motion, Hotaru watched on as the crystal blue eyes moved closer when Ami inclined her head. Her breathing stopped when she felt Ami's fingers on her cheek lead her to raise her chin, their lips only a heartbeat away from another, Ami's shallow, warm breath caressing her skin-

"Don't mind me, I'm just grabbing a drink."

Setsuna's voice cut through the room like a blast of cold air. Ami jerked back in her frame, but Hotaru's fingers quickly wrapped around her neck and prevented her from pulling away any further. Hotaru's own head rocked back in its cradle, an angry huff of breath through lips as her eyes rolled to the ceiling.

Setsuna's taller body passed behind them coolly, oblivious to their motions. With a hum, she pulled the fridge open, pulling out a jug and almost dancing back to the counter.

Ami stayed frozen in place, even her gaze refused to move from its spot upon Hotaru. The blush, which was only a hint on Ami's face upon Setsuna's first entrance, continually grew darker until Hotaru wondered if there was any blood left in the girl's fingers.

The 'clunk' of a glass fell to table. Setsuna hummed. The scrape as a top got unscrewed. The drowsy, long pour of a liquid filling glass.

After an eternity, the sound stopped. Ami finally pulled her gaze away, biting her lip as she took in the creamy paneling of the ceiling above. She tried to take a step back, but the girl's fingers had her in a vice grip.

"Hmmmm. I think, I need some ice in this."

_Yeah, me too. _With a groan, Hotaru finally released her, sidestepping Ami and sliding out from between counter and body. "I'm going back to the living room."

Left behind, Ami let her hands drop onto counter. Cowering over she pressed her head against them, burying her hot face from the world. She could hear the soft pad of Hotaru's retreating feet, the deep 'thunk, thunk' as Setsuna dropped ice cubes into a half-full glass. She tried to ignore it. Maybe it would all go away, and she could focus on willing the crimson out of her face.

A pad of feet stopped beside her.

Right beside her.

What was she _doing_?

Setsuna's voice was melodic, cordial and dripping with a smile she couldn't see.  
"Here. Take this with you."

With a huge breath of air, she raised herself up again, to see the taller woman pour juice into her glass. Steadying herself, she grabbed the glass with a huff.  
"Thanks."

And she left, returning to the overly crowded living room and setting the cup down before her seat with a disappointed air. Thankfully, Hotaru's entrance must have been quiet, as no one even looked up as she scooted herself in beside her.

Before she was even fully seated, Hotaru had incidentally swiped up her glass, and was pulling long, languid sips from it, deep purple eyes staring at her above the rim. Her mouth went dry, and she tried the swallow, her mother's voice echoing in her head.

_"Sharing a glass is like an indirect kiss."_

Hotaru pulled the glass away with a satisfied sigh, the clunk of glass echoing through the silent room. Ami pulled her eyes up, her hand still tracing letters on the paper before she realized the girl was regarding her and pulled her head up to regard her fully.

Hotaru's eyes were glittering, a smirk playing at her lips.  
"So... You like peppermint chap-stick?

Ami gulped soundlessly, and already she could feel the heat crawling up her face as the room's giggles echoed around her.


	5. Flashback: Trust

"Will you come to the carnival with me?"

Ami blinked, letting the words sink in and watching the rambunctious behavior of the girls in front of them before she responded. Her eyes slid sideways, to catch the questioning orbs of Hotaru staring at her levelly.  
"Uhh.. what?"

It was Friday, and their study session was over. Hotaru had been convinced to join them at the arcade, but she hung at the back of the group with Ami where it was quieter. Hotaru regarded her for a moment back, searching for something as Ami wondered where the question had come from. The younger woman turned her head up, pointing to the Ferris wheel that lit up the sky in the distance. "The carnival. Haruka-Papa keeps insisting that I go 'with my friends and be normal'." Her eyes rolled slightly at this statement and a tentative smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "So, you and me? Tomorrow?"

The blunette quirked a smile in return, raising her eyebrows to the rest of the group before them. "So, why don't you invite everybody?"

Minako was currently riding piggyback upon Mako, a fist in the air as she dug heels in with a cheerful yell. Makoto was grumbling loudly, but had yet to drop the woman. Usagi was currently whining at the top of her voice while she begged Rei to be her 'horsey'. Currently, the raven was deflecting her attempts but it didn't look like she would last much longer against the blond's tearful pleading.

Instead of answering the question directly, Hotaru only raised an eyebrow at the group in front of them, then turned back to catch gazes with Ami, as a peal of laughter and a squeal of delight cut through the air between them. Usagi followed in suit on Rei's back, a scream of delight causing Ami to flinch slightly. _Ah, well.. That answers that_. The blunette tilted her head back and let out a laugh. "Yeah... Guess you're not looking for _that_ much excitement."

She watched as the pairs of them galloped off together, hoots and hollers following them as they were virtually left in the dust.  
"Ahhh. Sure. I'll go to the carnival with you tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey! Gimme that back! I'm missing my game!"

Haruka grabbed for the remote again, but this time the Time Guardian was like grace in motion.  
"Nope, my show's not finished yet."

She made a final grab for it, but she fumbled, losing her balance and tumbling off the couch in a graceless thump.

A quirk of a smile colored the time guardian's lips.  
"It's almost over."

The racer let out a disgruntled growl, running an angry hand through sandy-blond hair as she pulled herself back up into a sitting position.

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

"Bye! ..-bye?" Startled, Haruka looked up from her staring contest with Setsuna and found Hotaru at the front door, with a hand on the knob. "Hey! Where are you off to?"

Hotaru stood in the open door, turning to her parents with a casual shrug.  
"To the carnival like you wanted."

Ruka blinked back at her, then let out a muted 'oh.' Sensing the stillness of the woman beside her, she popped up with spring-like reflexes, snatching the remote with a triumphant 'Ha!" Grinning, she backpedaled out of the woman's grasp as she changed the channel.  
"Wait, what?"

She turned back towards the door, but her daughter was gone.  
"Hey, wait!"

Dropping the remote, she was out the door and down the street in an instant.  
"Did you say you're going to the carnival?"

Hotaru turned with a quiet sigh of exasperation.  
"Yes?"

Her hands were already in her wallet, pulling out an assortment of bills. Hotaru's eyes widened at the amount that was pushed into her hands.  
"Ahhh... You... already gave me money for the carnival, Papa."

The racer only grinned at her, adding another few bills for good measure.  
"Yeah, but it's the carnival! Go out, have fun! Stay as long as you want with your friends!"

She blinked at her momentarily before she nodded and put away the money.  
"Ahh.. Hai. Thanks, Papa."

Haruka grinned, placing a kiss on forehead and ruffling her hair as Hotaru huffed at her antics.  
"Okay. Have fun, kiddo."

She closed the door with a satisfying click, but immediately threw her hands up in frustration when she turned around.  
"Sets! C'mon!"

The woman only grinned at her, Haruka's game on the screen again replaced by that cheesy soap opera.

* * *

The golden sun already hung low in the sky, coloring it thick shades of red when her bus groaned to its halt. Hotaru bounced down the stairs with a bright smile, waving to the blunette that waited expectantly at the stop. She bounded to Ami with a skip, the excitement easy on her features. "Hey."

The blunette was wearing a light sweater against the slight nip of the dropping temperature, hands tucked comfortably into the pockets of her corduroy jacket.  
"Hey back. Shall we?"

Her eyes glided up, taking in the crowd that meandered around them, the bright lights and musical sounds wafting over. She grinned back excitedly. "Yeah!"

They passed the entrance gates and were quickly encased within the mass of people. An elbow found its way into her ribs as they passed through its tight corners, but was gone just as quickly. The lights, bright and cheery from afar seemed disorienting when coupled with the other sights and sounds. The smells of fresh baked and fried foods wafted at them from all directions, as concessions advertised their goods to any passerby.

The music seemed to come from all directions; from attractions and food stands, fighting each other for ambiance. The yells of patrons and employees alike seemed to override her oversensitive hearing all together and she flinched slightly at the sudden over-exuberance.

She cast her eyes to her taller companion, but she didn't seem to be nearly as bothered by the overzealous sights and sounds. "C'mon, let's get out of the center of the crowd." She nodded thankfully, following her faithfully until they stopped a slightly quieter spot. They stood in silence for a short moment, Hotaru trying to reacquaint herself to the sudden sights and sounds as Ami surveyed the area around them. "It can be a bit disconcerting at first... The crowds."

She turned to see Ami regarding her knowingly, a warm smile on her features. "Ah... Yeah. Sorry."

The older girl only shook her head pleasantly. Her mouth opened to speak but the words never made it out, as a familiar voice ripped through the air.

"Ami! Hotaru-chan!"

This caused them both to flinch, and they turned to see the renowned parade of girls headed their direction.

They barely had a chance to exchange looks of resignation with each other before they each got crushed in equally strong hugs. The blondes' general touchy nature always tended to put her off. She managed to shoot a quick glance at the blunette beside her, but Ami seemed to accept the embrace more willingly.

"We didn't know you would be here!" Minako beamed at them happily, a betraying glint in her eyes despite her words. Released from the strong grip, Hotaru busied herself to straightening her clothes in silence as she let Ami do the talking to the familiar group.

"Ahhh... We-..." Hotaru raised an eyebrow and stopped fumbling with her skirt. She turned to see Ami caught, mid-word.

"I asked her to come with me."  
The entire group seemed to stop and regard her as a whole, and she had to stop herself from winking at Ami who shot her a grateful look. "Papa doesn't think I hang out with my friends enough, so here we are."

She could see the blush crawling up Ami's cheeks, but thankfully the entire group was watching Hotaru with rapt attention. Already she could see the glitter in Minako's eyes, a curiosity itching to escape, but Makoto spoke up before she had a chance to get any of it out. "So, I wanna take home a stuffed animal as big as me! Who's coming?"

They didn't really have a choice but to follow. Exchanging resigned looks as they followed in their path, they took their usual spots at the back of the group until they found themselves at a shooting gallery. Minako excitedly took a spot beside Makoto who already had a pellet gun at her shoulder. The park was packed, and they both found themselves fighting not to be pulled by the current of the crowd as they looked on.

One second Ami was right next to her, next she wasn't. Hotaru blinked to see her being pulled along by an excitable Usagi, and then a rifle was being pushed into her hands. She grinned, watching the exchange. Though she was expecting Ami to fight at least a little, the woman shrugged at the proposition and took the proffered weapon with certain amount of professionalism. Usagi bounced happily beside her, while pointing at a plushy she wanted Ami to win for her. After an apologetic look over her shoulder towards Hotaru, she focused her gaze coolly at her target.

Ami appeared fully concentrated on her task at hand, her eyes clear and intense as she leveled the barrel the same way her pen used to linger above a tough equation. Still, her eyes danced uncertainly and there seemed to be a tenseness in her back as the blonde bounced in such close proximity. Hotaru could feel the crowd pulling at her back, but she ignored them as she watched the blunette at her task.

Something landed a blow on the back of her knee and the leg involuntarily gave out under her. A curse escaped through gritted teeth and she wheeled, catching herself, but she found herself in the middle of the milling crowd. She turned to fight her way back, but they seemed to drag her along like the strong pull of a tide. Her eyes widened in panic. She couldn't see her friends anymore but the shouts and their excited screams echoed. She clawed between bodies in their direction but a jab to her ribs and an entanglement of her feet had her tripping, scrambling for footing. Only the tightness of the suffocating mass surrounding her kept her up. In a panic, Ami's name escaped her lips and she was powerless but to be pulled along by the current.

A strong hand caught hold below her elbow. As it pulled her, she looked up to catch a pair of familiar aquas and suddenly the stream was moving on without her. She stood, stunned silence and Ami smiled at her slightly, a protective hand still on her arm. "You okay?"

She blinked, instinctively taking another step towards Ami and further into the secluded spot she had seized. Her other arm wrapped protectively around Hotaru's shoulders and she leaned into Ami's embrace, immensely thankful for the sudden rescue. "It's okay now... I'm sorry, though. I should have kept a better eye on you."

Hotaru only nodded sullenly, watching the crowd move beyond them. "...S'okay..."

They recovered there for a short moment. Ami seemed to be considering something, but she said nothing. Without a warning, the blunette had Hotaru's hand in a tight grip, and Ami was smiling at her brightly. "C'mon."

Hotaru had no idea where the woman was taking her, but she followed trustingly. Ami seemed to navigate her way through the crowd with ease, and her tight grip never faltered, guiding them both easily through the fighting currents.

They let out an unanimous sigh of relief when they pushed back through the exit gates, pulling in a breath of fresh air on the spacious sidewalk. As the crowd thinned out around them, she could feel the protective grip on her hand loosening. Ami seemed to be still maintaining her pace and seemingly directing their path.

"Where we headed?" The blunette's footsteps never faltered. The light hold on her own hand felt unsure but Hotaru tightened the grip, hooking arms with the girl.

Ami smiled pleasantly at her before turning her eyes back towards the street in front of them. "Well, I'm a bit hungry. And it's way too early for you to go back home anyways."

She had expected Ami to pull her to their usual haunt, the Crown. Instead, they crossed the street at the last moment and Ami held the door for a more traditional eatery. Hotaru cocked an eyebrow questioningly as they were being seated into a booth in a corner next to the front windows. "Hot pots?"

The blunette shrugged good naturally. "I think American foods a bit overrated, actually. It's not often I'm actually enjoying a meal, so when I do have time to taste it, I go for stuff I miss eating."

"Miss eating?"

"To me food is usually a distraction or a chore. There's always something more important I should be doing. And with Mom at the hospital so much, we really don't have much time for home-cooked meals. I'm fond of sandwiches 'cause of their convenience factor, but sometimes I find myself really craving for a real meal." At this, she tilted her head, eyes shining almost apologetically. "Hope you don't mind?"

"So are you heading into the medical field because you want to or because it's what you're supposed to do?"

Ami blinked at her wordlessly, but was saved an answer when the waitress glided over to their table.

Taking pity on the stunned girl across from her Hotaru placed her order first, giving Ami enough time to recover before she placed her own. Before an awkward pause could arise, Hotaru decided for another attempt of conversation. A safe topic. "So, my Algebra grade already seems to be pulling up. Guess Papa was right about that tutoring."

To her surprise, Ami matched her with a dark smile, a glitter in her eyes. "Funny thing about that; your work is always spot on, but the final answer is off."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "Oh, you caught that?"

She expected anger or disappointment when she rose her eyes to Ami's but there was a kindness there. "Sometimes, you just want to blend instead of standing out."

Hotaru blinked, but Ami's eyes had taken on a distant look, boring into the table between them. "Especially for us, being normal is something so far out of reach that it seems worth the sacrifice."

As a rare occasion, Hotaru found herself speechless as she regarded the older girl with a profound gratefulness. When she finally spoke, a touch of wonder spotted her voice. "...you knew?"

Ami met her with a knowing smile. "Haruka might have mentioned all of your grades having declined rapidly, yes. The trick is, to not drop all your subjects at once. Brings too much attention to yourself. Instead just drop one or two. More importantly, make sure you're dropping your best subjects. That way, it's easier to pull them back up. I found myself able to slack most of the semester and squeeze by on the final."

Hotaru blinked wordlessly at her, eventually finding her words. "Ohhh... I... I was ignoring my worst subjects..."

Ami smiled at her. "They tend to get away from you like that."

Hotaru found herself suddenly breaking into a grin. "I failed English. Papa's gonna kill me."

Ami laughed back. "Your vocabulary's a bit stunted, but your sentence structure's just fine. Easily repaired."

Just then their food arrived, and the casual air about them as they ate was pleasant. Ami smiled, turning her head thoughtfully to the ceiling as they ate peacefully. "You know, I could be in college now. I skipped second. Could have taken summer classes to skip another grade or two. Taking some college credit classes as it is, but imagine. I could be in university already."

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to be different. Plus, with senshi duties..." Her words trailed off with a shrug.

The sentiment felt so familiar that Hotaru leaned back in her booth to regard the woman better.

"Seems, we do have more in common than I imagined..." It was cheesy, but she suddenly felt less lonely in this world.

"Hm, did you notice?"

"Notice what?"

"Don't look, but it seems, we have audience."

Ami stilled, turning slightly. It wasn't hard to place her audience after she spotted a familiar swash of blond hair outside the window. With a groan, she let her head drop against the surface of the table with a thump. A giggle pulled her attention up to Hotaru again.

"It really bothers you sometimes, hn?"

Ami pulled her head back up with a sigh. "It's not that... I just... Sometimes you just want a little peace and quiet, right?"

Hotaru grinned, watching as Ami rolled her eyes in exasperation. The bluenette began to turn towards their new audience but Hotaru shushed her, freezing her motions. "No, no, no, just ignore them. They're just curious, they just wanna play. Man, but how'd they track us down anyways?"

Ami huffed but obeyed, turning her attention from the window as she raised a wrist to show the bright blue band. "Communicators."

Hotaru's eyes widened in surprise. "They're not suppose-"

An arched eyebrow cut her off. "The worst part is, I'm the one that taught them how."

Hotaru's head fell back in its cradle with laughter. Four familiar forms entered the establishment stealthily, noisily accepting the only empty booth and complaining about the distance to the pair they had planned on eavesdropping. Her voice lowered as she watched the progression behind Ami's head. "See, like I said. They wanna play a little hide and seek." She winked at Ami.

The bluenette groaned in response. "Cheaters. They wouldn't have caught us without these," she shot, dangling the communicator between them before dropping it onto the table with a clatter.

"So," Hotaru chimed, "I like Michiru-mama's soba noodles best. What's your favorite dish when you're tired of sandwiches?"

* * *

The night wandered on, and after food they slipped out of the restaurant without a word to their conspicuously inconspicuous audience. Returning to the crowds of the fair was quickly shot down, so they found themselves wandering the trails of the peaceful park instead.

Hotaru found herself loving Ami's company, feeling beyond comfortable with the girl's presence. Unlike the other senshi, Ami was as at ease with silence as she was, and it settled intermittently between their conversations pleasantly. After Ami's initial confession to similar sins, their list of common things between them grew. For the first time, she found herself at ease with another soul.

A chill breeze blew across them, raising goosebumps against her skin. Hotaru rubbed her arms involuntarily.

"Are you cold?"

Hotaru shook her head, but she could already feel the soft fabric of Ami's jacket across her shoulders. "What about you?" She tried to hide the slight shiver in her voice, but Ami only chuckled, leaving an arm on her shoulder.

"Me? Senshi of Ice and Water, remember?"

Hotaru just grinned, not able to argue with that logic and leaned gratefully into the touch.

"Besides, Haruka would kill me if I let you get sick whi-" The words died on her lips, and Hotaru could hear the panic when she spoke again. "Your Haruka-Papa. What time is it?"

"What? Why?" A snort escaped her.

"Your curfew! You should have been home?" Ami looked around the park, as if expecting a bus-station right there.

"Are you kidding? Papa practically kicked me out the door."

A pause, as Ami processed this. "...You don't have a curfew?"

Hotaru turned with a smile to face her. "Do YOU have a curfew?"

Ami shrugged. "Never came up. Mom's more worried about me studying too much rather than staying out."

"Yeah, I don't go out enough to really need one. It is getting chilly, though." Ami nodded, checking her watch and laying a hand back across her shoulders. "Yeah, it's pretty late. C'mon..."

The bus stop was around the corner after all, and Hotaru shrugged the jacket off and handed it back with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The act surprised the blunette soundly, but she returned the hug tightly. "You'll be alright on the walk home? It's getting late..."

"Nah. I'll call Papa on the bus. She'll pick me up on the stop."

They parted as the bus pulled up, and the doors opened with a huff. Hotaru wordlessly climbed into the bus, turning to face her at the last moment.

She winked.  
"Thanks for the date, Ami."

And then the doors closed with a fwap and the last thing she saw was Ami's stunned features.


	6. Secrets

_27: When was the Thirty-Eigth Army formed, and why?_

_The_ _Indochina Garrison Army was formed on September 9, 1942 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group following th__e Jap-_

" 'Search for your love... Search for your love... "  
A poppy chime cut through the silence, interrupting the musings in her head. She blinked, shaking the cobwebs from her mind to see Usagi eagerly typing away on her cell phone, eyes wide in anticipation. Her gaze slid to the left, where Rei rolled her eyes and shot the blonde a withering look.

Shaking her head good-naturedly, she ignored the silent accusations regarded at their princess and let her gaze drift back to the text before. _...Where was I?  
_  
... _was formed on September 9, 1942 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group following the Japanese invasion and occupation of French Indochina. With the threat of possible landings of Allied forces to retake French Indochina increasing, the organizational struct-_

" Search for your love... Search for your love... "  
This time, Ami rolled her eyes as she glared at the blonde. A tip of tongue was poking through pouted lips, eyes furrowed in concentration as she tapped away at the keys. Rei's furrowed amethysts met her own and they exchanged mutually disgruntled looks.

Usagi's face immediatly fell into a pout as her form sat frozen, holding a handful of thin air as Rei had just snatched the phone from her hands.  
"This is study time, not text time! I don't know how any of us are supposed to get any work done with your typing and giggling away the whole time!"

"But-... but-... Mamo-chaaaaaan!"

Ami sighed, tuning out the noise of her surroundings.  
... _the organizational structure of the Southern Expeditionary Army changed, and the Indochina Garrison Army was re-designated the Japanese Thirty-Eighth Army._

Usagi was near tears as she cried for her phone back, but Rei held it at arm's length, holding Usagi back with the other.

_Finally! Okay, moving on...  
__28\. How long was the army mobili-_

Thhhuuuurrrrrm. Thhhuuuuuurrrrrrm.

Ami's head raised slowly, a deathly calm look under elegantly arched eyebrows, pencil still hovering above paper. At the unresponsiveness of the girls in front of her, her eyes furrowed impatiently, until she realized something was off.

_Why are they all looking at me?_

She blinked. Usagi blinked too. As if waiting for something.

Thhhuuuurrrrm. Thhhuuurrrrrm.

She looked to her left, to the silent phone sitting in Rei's hand.

_Oh._

Thhhuuuuuurrrrm. Thhhuuuuurrrrm.

_OH._

Her eyes fell down, to the book-bag vibrating by her side.

_Whoops.  
_She gulped, fishing into her bag to pull out the shaking electronic.

She tucked her thumb in to flip it open, but the device unceremoniously disappeared from her hand as Usagi snatched it away in a rare display of her senshi-quick reflexes.

"See! See, it's not me! It's Ami's!"  
She waved the phone victoriously over her head, but paused mid-dance when she realized the thing was still vibrating. Usagi's eyes widened, as if realizing for the first time the untold mysteries the item held as she lowered it back down.

"Who is this from?"  
She flipped it open with a look of awe on her features.

The room paused, as Usagi's eyes furrowed in concentration. Ami paled and her heart jumped into her throat. She didn't know what the message said, but she certainly had an idea who sent it... She watched with bated breath, but after a long moment Usa only gave a disappointed huff.  
"...can't read that..."

"And you shouldn't!" Rei snapped, pulling the phone from the blonde's fingers.

A bottom lip pouted out in response, tears welling in her eyes as Rei now held TWO phones that had previously been in Usagi's possession. Ami let out a relieved breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. _Oh, thank kami..._

"You shouldn't be reading other people's..."  
To her horror, Rei's curiosity seemed to get the better of her, and her sight fell down to the phone clasped protectively in her hand. "Huh... I think... I understand some of these words.."

Ami's mouth dropped open as her phone was snatched up by yet another participant of the game. _What is this, a game of hot potato!?_

"That's Ami's. None of your business to be read—"  
Mako's eyes dragged over the text in front of her.  
"Is this English?"

Makoto's eyes rose in question to Ami, but she held the phone out to her regardless. Ami reached out for the device, a grateful look on her features as her fingers grazed the smooth casing. _I'll never complain about Mako's bad english grades again. Ever._

Lightning quick fingers were there and gone again, the dread creeping through Ami's face.  
"English? That's my specialty!"  
Minako grinned, poring over the words before her.

_Ack! I HAD it! I was touching it!_

Mina rose herself up slightly, enjoying the status she had just received among them.  
"It says: I'm tired of the game, I'd rather lose the prize." Her features fell. "Huh?"

Ami was already sprawling across the table, holding herself up on one hand while she reached with the other. The words stopped her dead in her motions, the shock effectively blanking her mind. She fell back to her seat with a fwump, her body limp. It felt like a heavy weight had just fallen into her stomach, a hot blade swiping through her guts. She tried to swallow, but it got caught in her throat.

When she finally found her voice, it was raspy, and sounded strange even to her.  
"...What?"

Four pairs of widened eyes were glued to Ami's crushed form, while the girl willed herself to process information. Without warning, she bounced up as if on springs, swiping the phone desperately from Mina's limp hands and reading the text aloud. "_I'm tired of the game. I'd rather get lost in the prize._"

This only seemed to further the confusion in the room, and her entire audience tipped their heads. Mina was the first one to speak, and it wasn't much. "...Wha?"

Ami didn't hear though, her eyes were furrowed in thought, lips moving silently as she read over it again. "Silly goose! That means something totally different!" A grin sprouted from her, running over her features until it bled into her movements. She let out a childish titter as she bounced joyfully in her seat.

"And that means... what?" An incredulous eyebrow arched as Rei waited, taking in Ami's sudden mood swing with apprehension.

"...Who was that from?"  
Ami's eyes glided over to Minako, who was mirroring her own laugh with a twinkle in her eye.

Ami stopped in her motions, her eyes widened. After a few blinks, she cleared her throat, resumed her bouncing, though slowing down gradually as she closed the phone and placed it down with studied motions.  
"Ahhh... Just Taru- Hotaru! She was.. ah. She was just getting back to me about something." She could feel the hot bristle of a deep blush on her neck, crawling up until even her forehead and ears felt sizzling.

Mako cast a suspicious look at her, to the blonde interrogator, and back to Ami again. Her words were slow, studied. She had the same reserved tone in her voice that she held whenever Ami was explaining a subject that she didn't quite get.  
"And... how long have you had her number?"

"Ahh.." Ami smiled, the warmth renewing itself on her cheeks for a different reason.  
"It's... been a while. A little while after she started studying with us, I guess."

Rei perked up next.  
"So, you already had her number when you met at the carnival?"

Minako leaned back with a dreamy look on her face, staring off into space. Her voice was airy, as if miles away from where she sat.  
"Awwwww... Their first date... I remember it well."

The others' eyes widened, a quirk in their eyebrows as they took in the love-goddess' singularity. After a moment, their eyes slowly settled back on Ami, quiet expectation on their faces.

She didn't try to deny it. Instead, she smiled abashedly back at them. She waited, as they all stared at her in confusion, the wheels visibly ticking in their heads.

Mako was finally the first to speak.  
"Oh. My. God. You're dating Hotaru!"

Rei's eyes snapped towards the soldier of thunder, accusations in her voice.  
"Oh, no, of course she's _not_! Now everyone's getting all caught up in Mina's gossi-" She paused, and turned slow, wide eyes towards the genius. Ami waited for Rei to continue, posing calmly with fingers interlaced coolly before her.

"You're not denying it," Rei deadpanned.

A pause as Rei studied her and the rest of the table leaned forward, waiting. The miko cast her eyes around the table, taking in the collective tension before finally addressing the bluenette again. "If you don't say anything now, you'll never hear the end of it."

Ami raised her eyes to the ceiling, pondering over the subject. A million thoughts flashed before her mind, questions forming and dissipating, weighing options and measuring consequences. When her eyes settled back on the girls in front of her, she felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.  
"Okay. So, I like Hotaru."

The two blondes erupted into a fit of squeals, jumped out of their seats and started to dance around the room. The other two simply sat staring, mouths ajar at Ami's uncharacteristic bluntness. Their bodies shook with the motions of the blondes as they danced around them, completely oblivious to the hands on their shoulders attempting to pull them up to join the savage tribal dance.

"We knew it, we knew it!"

"I knew it all along!"

Minako broke Rei's hypnotic state first, squishing the miko's nose flat with an accusing finger. "You owe me five-hundred yen, Rei-chan. _Told_ you."

This seemed to snap Rei out of her state of shock. She shook her head violently, pushing the girl off in the process. She shot the blonde a dirty look, but whatever words she had were completely lost as she turned her attention fully back to the blunette.  
"When did... How... Who-" She paused, ticking her head in apparent knowledge. "Well, we know _that _much. ..Did you.."

Ami smiled pleasantly back at the miko, still stumbling over words. She quite enjoyed how much she had thrown all of them off, the floored expressions that Rei and Mako still wore. She blinked placidly, drawing out the conversation.  
"Did I what, Rei-chan? You have yet to articulate a proper question."

She barely held the giggle that danced in her throat, as Rei did a double-take, shook her head and turned towards her with wide eyes. Ami turned to Mako, who seemed to recover herself faster, while Rei worked on digesting Ami's newly-adorned attitude.  
"Wait.. _When!_ When did this happen?"

Ami giggled.  
"Well, that's a bit subjective, isn't it? It's not something that happens immediately, or even consciously, for that matter."

Mako shook her head dumbly, grumbling.  
"You didn't even _try_ to answer that question."

"How did it start?"  
Rei's amethysts glowered at her.

Ami let out a sigh, her gaze rolling up to the ceiling. She was quite aware Rei's patience was already wearing thin, but this was just such a rare opportunity to miss...  
"That question is quite vague, but then, I suppose the answer is as well. Where would one start? How did what start? How did we meet? You were there actually. Unassuming, pale Tomoe Hotaru, who turned out to be steely, imposing Sailor Saturn."

Ami smirked. She could see the vein on Rei's forehead ticking, her irises slightly bulging. _Is this why Usagi always does_ _it?_

A hand slammed down on the table, making them all jump, and a silky voice cut through the air between them. "Amateurs..."

Ami leaned back on hands, the goddess of love staring mischievously down at her as she settled herself onto the table. "Okay, Ami-chan." The blonde's eyes twinkled at her, as if she was relishing the challenge. "Tell us about the carnival. It was a date, we know. We were there. What happened after you two lovebirds ran off and before we tracked you down to the restaurant?"

Ami smiled, closing her eyes as she replayed the fond memory in her head. She was slightly amused when she thought of it, the group of girls following them noisily everywhere they went. The vision of a precious smile and glinting, dark eyes swam before her, banishing all other thoughts and she replayed them. "Well, she doesn't really like the crowds. She was caught pretty off-guard. I tried keeping an eye on her, but once you guys pulled us to the shooting gallery, she got pulled away by the mass."

"After Mako won me my bear is when we realized you guys had gone."

Ami chuckled.  
"Yeah, she got swept up almost as soon I stepped away, so I dropped the pellet gun and went right after her. I managed to fish her out, and took that as our cue to find someplace quieter. So, off we went for hot pots, where you guys found us."

"You can't trick me that easily, you know."  
Ami opened her eyes to see Mina smiling knowingly at her.  
"You haven't actually answered my question yet."

Ami smiled back at her, musing. _If only she paid this much attention during studies_, before nodding and jumping back in.  
"Well, nothing much happened there. We headed straight to dinner after that. It was a quiet walk."

A sigh escaped Minako.  
"Fine, tell me something that _did _happen! We want details!" She slammed the table next to her with her fist for emphasis.

Ami chuckled, relenting.  
"Okay, okay. Well, _despite _you guys' interruption, we had a really good dinner. Hotaru's smarter than she lets on, and I gue-"

"Aww, how cute! They have something in common!"  
Everybody looked at Usagi, questioningly.  
"They are both smart!"

The group rolled their eyes together before returning their attention to Ami, Mina pegging her for more details in the process. "So, what happened afterward? Did you kiss? Was it good!? Were tongues involved!?"

Ami blushed, smiling as she remembered it.  
"No, no. No tongues. She just..." Her confidence wavered before her, but the starry eyes of the blondes prompted her to continue. "Well, she.. She jumped on the bus, and she was telling me goodbye. It was just a peck on the cheek."

The whole table awwwwww'ed in unison. Ami blushed.  
"That's when she told me, thanks for the date. Then her bus drove off."

Minako let out a grunt of dissatisfaction.  
"Seriously? That's it!?"

Ami blinked.  
"What? What do you mean?"

"For a genius, sometimes you're pretty damn clueless."

Ami paled. "Well.. She's a bit younger.. and.. I didn't want to... ahh.."

"You didn't realize it was a date before that, did you."

Ami gulped. "Ahhh... No."

The entire table sighed in exasperation. To her relief, Rei jumped to her defense. "Well, I mean.. That's reasonable, right? Hotaru's definitely a powerful, rapidly growing senshi, but there's still that age difference, plus there's Haruka to deal with..." The miko stopped, as she realized something, then leaned into whisper not so quietly. "How is that... working for you? And Haruka?"

"You're dating Haruka too!?"  
Usagi's voice cut through the air, causing the whole room to wince in pain.

Makoto was the first to calm the princess down.  
"No, Bunny. We were just saying Ami has Haruka as her father-in-law to deal with on top of everything else she's worried about."

Rei chimed in.  
"Actually... I remember Haruka rushing outta here with murder on her face last week. And then... You looked really shaken, and... yeah, then you just ran outta here as fast as you could."

Four sets of eyes turned to Ami who paled three shades in the process at the memory. Rei's intense eyes were unblinking, though.  
"What happened?"

"Ahhh. We.. err.."  
She paled even more as the entire room bent in even closer. Finally, she took a deep breath and let the words drop like the the bomb they were. "We kissed."

The entire group awww'ed again.  
"Haruka caught us kissing."

The entire group clasped their hands over their mouths in shock, completely lost in the story.  
"What happened?"

Ami blushed. What was she supposed to say? She didn't want everyone thinking Haruka was some kind of violent, territorial wolverine. "Ahhh. We _really_ surprised her. She wasn't expecting to see _that_ when she opened the door."

Mina's voice cut through the air.  
"Was there tongue?"

"...Almost."

"How do you... _almost_ get tongue?"

Ami straightened herself, gathering up her courage.  
"When it's none of your business and we got interrupted anyway."

A gasp.  
"Oh man, that totally means there totally _was_ total tongue!"

The room paused, staring bewildered at Mina and her abuse of language before turning their collective gaze back to the genius. "Haruka must have been pissed."  
"She... wasn't happy."

"...What'd she say?"

"Not much." Ami gulped, pushing on before they had a chance to ask more detailed questions. "Well, she was fuming, pulled Hotaru away and Michiru dragged them both away. End of story."

A low, appreciative whistle.  
"Man. Talk about forbidden fruit."

"That must have been some kiss."  
Ami blushed and turned away. Makoto's mumble seemed to quiet the rest of their musings, voicing the question that everyone seemed to be wondering.

"...Just out of curiosity... Not... really judging or anything... How _old_ is Hotaru, exactly?"

The entire room waited for Ami's answer. She winced. "It's...hard to say. I mean.. She was re-born two years ago, but before that she had lived with Dr. Tomoe, not that _that_ was much of a life. Anyway, she guesses she's around... fourteen-ish. Physically. But then, she keeps growing, and..." Ami squinted in thought, searching for the right words. "It's... weird. I guess she's technically only... eight. But her eyes... They're old. Wise. Like she's lived, experienced centuries, and sometimes she gets this... faraway look and she refers to memories from her past life that.. she _shouldn't_ remember."

An exasperated sigh escaped her.  
"I know, I know. She's so young, and I _shouldn't_ and we both _know_ I shouldn't. And her Papa, she wants to kill me. But... I can't help it. At first I kept telling myself she was just a schoolgirl with a crush, and sometimes I actually believed it. But then.. That somber expression washes over her, and she looks at me with those eyes that have seen a thousand years. It's like, so much wisdom in such a young mind. It's.. intriguing, and fascinating, and puzzling, and powerful. It's _so_ very powerful."

"And she outsmarts you."

"I- yeah. Yeah, she does. It's like, where I can see only dark space, she can see the galaxies beyond."

"That's really sweet."

"Yeah, she's.. she's sweet." There was a thoughtful pause, and Ami could feel herself zoning out. "...and she's a challenge and a mystery. Brave where I'm not, and shy when most aren't. I'd... I'd like to get to know her better, yeah."

"You kissed, how much better do you need to know her?"

Ami's eyes widened at the Love Goddess before her, then fell back down in thought.  
"There's more to her than just kisses. I don't.. I don't want to just kiss her."

The whole room erupted in squeals, Ami burned bright.  
"I-! No! No, no, not like that!"

Mina cut through the room of giggles.  
"You want to know her inside _and_ out?"

Ami sighed, relief in her voice.  
"Yes, that's what I mean."

The room was dead quiet for a moment, then erupted even louder than before, hooting and giggles echoing off the walls. Ami let out a pained gasp, struggling for words as her mind utterly failed her. "No, no! I didn't mean- _Minako!_!"

Mina held her belly from laughing so hard. "I'm sorry!" She wiped some tears from her eyes. "But it was such a perfect-..." The rest of her so-called apology died away in another flood of giggles.

Ami hid her burning head behind hands.  
"You guys are horrible... But I'm glad this whole thing didn't freak you out."

Mako was the first to wave a hand and let out a discouraging sound of disbelief.  
"What, for having the hots for little Hota? She's a flirt - with you anyways, and why _would _we care? We love Michi and Ruka just the same."

For a moment, Ami considered making a threesome remark, but knowing Minako, that would only backfire on her somehow. Instead, she just smiled gratefully. "Yeah. It was a sudden thing. But.. I do like Taru. It's not official or anything.. But, yes, we are sort of... dating. So. Rei does owe Mina some yen after all. Sorry, Rei."

Ami shot the miko an apologetic look and Rei cursed. Mina grinned and held out an expecting hand. As Rei grumbled and got up to grab currency for Mina, Ami began packing her books and everyone else followed suit.

Mako usually walked Ami home, but the bluenette declined today. The amazon nodded knowingly and gave her a hug before parting ways. It was really nice, having such good friends. Mako hadn't even faded completely from view before Ami fished her phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open and stared at the words that still sent butterflies dancing in her stomach.

* * *

MIZUNOAMI  
Hi.

HO. TOMOE  
Hey, precious. ;) I thought I scared you off.

MIZUNOAMI  
No. Interesting timing you had there. Middle of a study session.

HO. TOMOE  
Yep. That was my plan. How'd that work out for you?

MIZUNOAMI  
Sneaky. Well. I think I just had my first coming out. -_-;

HO. TOMOE  
REALLY? I'm impressed, lovely. Tell me all about it.

MIZUNOAMI  
I'll call you when I get home.

...So, you're really serious about this?

MIZUNOAMI  
Hai. I'm done with games if you are.


	7. Rebirth & Revolution

(A/N: * Yukibara = jap. "snowflake", lit. "snow-rose")

* * *

A bumble bee landed heavily on a dandelion, the flower bending down under its weight.

"I like them, you know... Technically they shouldn't be able to fly. They are too heavy and their wings are too small. But they don't know that. They don't care about physics. They just do it..."

A gentle buzz in her pocket brought Hotaru out of her musings. She snapped her cell phone open and smiled at the sender's ID.

YUKIBARA (*)  
Just got out of class. Sorry.

She sighed. Well, at least she hadn't managed yet to scare the girl off. She waited a moment, not wanting to make it look like she had been doing nothing but waiting for a response, before typing a reply.

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
Class? It's Saturday. You go to class on Saturday?

This time the water senshi's response came immediately, causing Hotaru to grin.

YUKIBARA  
It's not for long. Just a prep class. It'll be over in a couple weeks.

"Oh, babe... You're hopeless when it comes to your studies, aren't you?" Hotaru shook her head, before another thought crossed her mind.

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
So, you're sayin in a few weeks you'll have Saturdays open, to spend time with your favorite girl?

_"Pretty confident about that, aren't we?"_

Hotaru blinked and looked around the sun-lit garden.  
She was still alone out here, just as she had intended when she had fled the house to escape a still grumpy Haruka and a way too cheerful Michiru. Not to mention a certain Setsuna who had decided this Saturday to be the perfect day for a marathon of her favorite soap-opera...

But then again, she was never quite alone...

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "...just when I began to convince myself, I was just a ordinary, unstable teenager talking to herself..."  
_"Aw, come on. That's just mean. Also, ordinary is lame."_

Hotaru dropped back on the lawn, cushioned her head comfortably with one arm and held her phone loosely in with the other hand on her stomach. She stared at the white clouds above her, watched them slowly moving and changing their shapes against the bright blue sky. After a moment of blissful quiet, her phone buzzed again.

YUKIBARA  
Yes, that seems to be the case.

She smirked. Well, she didn't deny it, did she? But why did she have to be so short and passive in her replies?

_"Wait for it..."  
_For a few seconds Hotaru frowned at the display.

YUKIBARA  
I am sure, my favorite girl will enjoy that. I better make sure to inform her.

Hotaru's eyebrows shot up and a cackle echoed through her head.

_"Pawned ya! Oh, she's good!"_

"How on earth did you know, she was going to up one, Saturn?!"

_"Experience, young padawan. Ami, like Mercury, has to weigh the consequences before acting. She wants you, but she's still testing the waters._ _..And what do you have to say to that?"_

Hotaru smiled to herself. "How would _you _reply?"

She could feel the dark smile creeping over the senshi's features. _"Oh, that would all depend on what exactly I want from her. ...What do you want from her, Hotaru-chan?"_

"I..."

_"Argh, gimme that." _Hotaru let Saturn take over control and watched as her fingers typed and send the message.

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
Maybe then I should leave you to that.

"Wha-!? Wait!" Hotaru stared in horror as the seconds ticked by.

YUKIBARA  
…

"Seriously, Saturn, you can't play her like that." Hotaru pushed Saturn back and reclaimed her body control.

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
Sorry. ..ever let that voice in the back of your head out before you have a chance to filter it and you end up with your foot stuck in your mouth?

Hotaru sighed. "Great. Thanks. Now she thinks I'm crazy." She stared at the screen in silence, disappointment and regret carved in to her features as the minutes ticked by.

_"Oh, just calm down and give her a minute. Besides, you gotta let me talk to her every now and then. We better ease her into me being around as well, rather sooner than later. I want to play with Ami too!"_

"Play?! What do you mean, play!? You can't come out to PLAY with Am-"

YUKIBARA  
...probably my fault, Firefly. I am not good at these things.

Her rantings stopped mid-word when a blush covered her cheeks. The name fell from her lips at a whisper, a smile shading and deepening the blush. "...Firefly. _Firefly_."

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
...Firefly?

YUKIBARA  
Hai. It's not only the English translation of your name, but also... well, you light up the dark. For me. ...Do you mind?

Hotaru paused and let the girl's words sink in. Butterflies were dancing so fast in her belly, it left her somewhat dizzy. But she was so happy, she didn't care.

_"Quite excited_ _about this, aren't we?"_

"We?! Certainly, I can FEEL your grin!"

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
You can call me anything you like, Yukibara.

"Wait, was that you again?! Saturn, would you cut that out?"

_"Nope, that was your doing. ...not that I wouldn't agree."_

"...what do you-"

YUKIBARA  
...you think I am that vulnerable?

_"I was about to ask you the same thing..."_

Hotaru laughed.

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
No. Rather the opposite. But to me, you are a unique, one of a kind beauty. Simply perfect.

_"D'awww! But again, agreeing."_

Trying not to count the seconds it took for Ami to react to her last message, Hotaru tilted her head. "Okay, now you have to elaborate. What exactly are you agreeing on?"

_"She's the one."_

"...You... you think so too?"

_"Definitely! I have been waiting an eternity for someone like her. She makes my heart jump like yours. And more. Go and get her!"_

"...wait. This is not going to be some kind of kinky threesome relationship, is it?"

_"When will you ever learn it? I am a part of you. I AM you! And YOU are absolutely in love with that_ _girl."_

Hotaru felt a huge blush creep up her cheeks. "...love?" The word was heavy, weighted with its implications. Her head buzzed with excitement, elation and fear. The certainty in Saturn's voice caught her off-guard, scared her. A thousand questions flooded her mind, each birthing a thousand more. Could it really be?

The phone buzzing in her hand pulled her back to reality.

YUKIBARA  
(So, what happens next?)

"Oh, geez..."

_"Just.. breathe."_

LADY_LEGENDARY_TARU  
...A date would be a nice start. ;)

YUKIBARA  
...I would like that.

_"And then?"_

"What do you mean? We go out, date, have fun... we- ...Oh."

_"Exactly. I mean, the kissing so far was really good, wasn't it?"_

"...you were-... I rather not think about that..."

_"Don't be so shallow. You don't think Mercury was there, enjoying every part of it too?_ _Anyhow... yeah, I think, we got the kissing-part down. Just thinking of it makes me all fuzzy inside..."_

"...can you please stop that? That's my insides too, you know?" There was a thoughtful pause. "...You've seen her? Mercury, I mean?"

_"We've both seen her, you just didn't realize it. She surfaces just as I do. I've watched her, for a long time._ _...and she's just as stunning as our little Ami-chan..."_

...Mercury. Did Ami experience these things the same way? She doubted it. No, she was positive that her relationship with Saturn was a special one. Hotaru had hinted her split personality to her parents once, and it had almost freaked them out. She had never mentioned it again and had tried her best to withhold her Saturn'esque powers in front of them unless she was transformed.

...but what Saturn said, was it true? Had she really seen Mercury?

...sometimes. Sometimes Ami's eyes changed when she looked at her. It was these rare occasions when all insecurity left those crystal clear blue eyes, when they were so close that there was no room for neither rationality nor analysis. There, she felt something rear its head within the genius water senshi. Something powerful and wise beyond age. Something, or someone breathtaking. A hidden potential, a free spirit... Maybe Saturn was right. Mercury was there all along.

But it worried her a little. Saturn had seen and understood something about Ami she had failed to recognize to this point. What else could she be missing out on? How did it really feel for Ami to grow with Mercury together? How much did Mercury within Ami influence her thoughts and feelings? Was she coming on too strong? Should she tease Ami even more to help the girl break free from her shyness and reservation? And was Saturn in the back of her head grinning at her inner ranting!?

Hotaru shook her head. It wasn't that new to her to share her most intimate thoughts with her alter-ego. But this was definitely a topic she was still trying to get used to on her own. ...On the other hand, why not take advantage of an ancient mind and its experience.

"Okay, Saturn, help me out here. How can I please Ami?"

"_...we can always spy on your parents, you know..."_

"STOP THAT! THAT'S ICKY! THEY ARE MY PARENTS FOR GOD'S SAKE! EW!"

"_Well, you're the one that said you were curious. I'm pretty sure *they* would know... Your parents, not mine."_

"I didn't mean-... agh, you are impossible! I meant, making her happy!"

"_Well, I am positive, she would not be unhappy about getting into our pants. Not that I know what's to be done once that happens"_

"You don't kn-... ...damn. Two virgins trapped in one body. We are screwed."

"_Actually, that's what we are hoping for..."_

"Argh! Just... slow down, will you? All we know is that she likes me too. We can't go jumping her first chance we get and scare her off."

YUKIBARA  
That... poses some problems, though. Your papa, for one.

LEGENDARY_LADY_HOTARU  
Let me worry about that. ;)

_"Actually, I think your mom's already onto that..."_

* * *

Michiru let out a sigh, not really following the motions on the TV in front of her. She dropped a hand and grabbed some popcorn out of the full bowl between her and Setsuna and munched on them noisily.

"Wait... wasn't she going out with that other guy last episode? What happened?"

A familiar swash of sandy blond moved in her peripheral vision. It stopped at yet another window, hovered in a huddled crouch, before the blinds snapped back shut with a click and the form slid over to the next.

Setsuna furrowed a brow in response.  
"Yes, well, she thought he was in an accident, so she got with his brother. But it turns out the accident was a fake, and now she's in love with both brothers at the same time."

"Okay, who's that guy?"

"That's her ex."

"Besides the two brothers!?"

Meantime her lover had reached the glass door, hiding in exaggerated stealth between the curtains, her ear pressed against the glass. When that yielded no results, she let out a puff of exaggeration and pressed her face firmly against the glass, squishing her nose against it as she stared out at her daughter through the pane.

"Well, yeah. Her ex-ex, I guess. He used to own the company the brothers work for before his wife died from cancer. It was a sad episode."

"His wife? Wait, that doesn't make sense, does it?"

"Yeah, she was his affair. But that was okay, because the wife cheated on him with his lawyer. She was hot... Too bad she moved to Canada."

The racer moved again, a silent crouch-walk as she moved to the neighboring window, depositing herself firmly beside a potted plant. The leaves shook for a moment as the body adjusted against it, then the plant was still as the curtains on the window ever-so-slowly got pulled away from distracting view at knee level.

Michiru groaned. This show was way too confusing anyway. She pulled herself from her comfortable position, stood and turned, to get a full view of the spying houseplant. With a sigh, she closed the distance until she leaned directly above it, watching as some of its leaves and a peculiar patch of blond foliage moved in the direction of her daughter.

"You know. Most normal people craving for sunlight just go outside."

The plant jumped, yelped and a startled Haruka dropped out of it with a fwump.

Adding to her amusement, the derailed spy shot her a reproachful look for being disturbed. She still had a twig in her hair and several leaves decorating her clothes, on top of her completely disheveled and sprawled position on the ground. With some skill, Michiru managed to choke down the smile that tried to show itself. Instead, her look darkened as she crossed her arms above her chest and tapped a foot in impatience.

"Caught the neighbor skinny-dipping again? It is THEIR property, you know."

The racer gulped, before readjusting her feet beneath her.  
"Hotaru doesn't need to see that."

Michiru rolled her eyes.  
"They have a fence. Setsuna's the only one in the house who has a view. You're not watching them, you're watching Hotaru."

A grunt affronted itself from the couch.  
"Yeah, 'Take the west wing, Setsuna. It has a GREAT view,' they said."

Michiru chuckled, covering the melodic sound quickly with a hand. She turned her eyes back to Haruka, but the woman had rolled onto her stomach, a hand pulling curtains back so she could peek into the backyard. "What _are_ they talking so much about... She's had a cell phone for a year and never cared about it, and now she won't take her eyes off it..."

"Oh, will you stop that!"  
She pulled the woman up by the collar, pulling her back from the window and forcing her gaze away from the yard.

"I'm _worried_ about her, Michi."

A deep sigh.  
"Yes, I'm sure you showed that quite clearly enough when you punched her love interest."

A pause as they caught their breath and the TV volume suddenly lowered. The crunch of popcorn came from the couch.

Haruka swallowed under Michiru's firm gaze.  
"But-.. but... But she KISSED my BABY...!"

"Yes. Obviously, Hotaru needed saving. She was very much in danger."

"She's way too young for this kind of stuff! How can _you_ be so _calm _about it, when that-.. that-... miscreant launched herself on our little, innocent girl!"

"Are we still talking about Ami? And Hotaru? Because, a few months ago you were running around asking her to teach our daughter, and were quite relieved to have gotten out of tutoring her yourself."

A voice chirped from the couch. "Not to mention that 'miscreant' being a genius and a senshi that had saved your butt plenty of times as well."

"I DIDN'T ASK HER FOR _THAT _KIND OF TEACHING! ...And I wanted her to make some friends!"

"Okay, so she picked up some extra skills along with her math. Her grades have gotten better, and now she has friends and more. What do you expect? She's hit that age-.."

"She's still a BABY!"

"She's physically well-mature!"

"SHE'S TWO!"

"...her body and mind are more like... fifteen..."

"SHE'S STILL **MY** BABY!"

"...you are aware, that your tantrum makes YOU look like a baby? ...which is rather unsexy by the way."

An awkward cough sounded from the couch.  
"Haruka, have you ever considered, that our shy friend Ami is less likely to have initiated the relationship?"

"Relationship!?" Haruka's eyes went wide at the idea.

"Well, they're obviously more than friends at this point."

As if on cue, the glass door opened and light flowed into the room as the curtains got pulled back in a sweep. The entire room's gaze fell to Hotaru who stood beaming in the frame, bouncing on toes happily and cell clutched tightly within her hands. The girl's eyes roved over the entire room before settling onto the dark gaze of her papa.

She side-stepped her papa as she rolled her eyes.  
"Don't worry. No one was skinny dipping."


	8. Seven Minutes & an Eternity

"You miss-carried there. That should be a negative two, not three."

Ami squinted, letting her eyes rove over the scribbled writing before her. She moved to correct the girl, but her eyebrows only furrowed further when she realized she was indeed right. She grunted, scratching out the digit and closed the book, brushing her cheek against the raven-haired head that settled itself on her shoulder.

"Yes, well. I think that's enough studying for now, anyway."

The weight on her shoulder removed itself and a pair of deep mauves stared into her own. It was funny, the way they had learned to speak without words. _Wasn't I supposed to be the one helping you with your math__?_ A smirk covered Hotaru's features, until it twinkled even in her eyes. She shook her head, pulling her attention to the squeal that resounded from the blonde across the table from them.

"Does that mean we're done studying for today, Ami?"  
Their princess was standing, her hands planted squarely on the table in a defensive posture, hope and fear alike seeping from her eyes as if expecting Ami to retract her words.

"Yes, Usa-chan. I think that's enough for one day."

The whole room let out a sigh of relief, but she didn't have enough time to enjoy it with the others. The last thing she saw was the grinning faces of two blonds as each latched onto one of her arms, and then they were pulling her to her feet. She tried to throw her weight back, but she couldn't fight their combined forces.

"W-wa-awwaahh! My books!"

And then she was engulfed in the feel of soft cloth, the scent of fabric softener and darkness. The doors closed behind her with a clack, and then she was alone in the dark. She turned, squinting her eyes, trying to will her eyes to adjust and see something. She could hear the voices and giggles, the strong shuffle of feet and the strangled voice of Hotaru beyond the door. She cautiously leaned her weight forward, feeling for the door until her hand finally touched a doorknob, but at that moment the door was ripped open and she was blinded by the bright light.

The form of Hotaru barreled into her, as Rei's voice echoed after her, a dark smile coating her words. "Don't worry, we'll take care of your books for you." The last thing she saw in that quick flash, were the widened dark purples, staring into her own with a mix of surprise and amusement and the tightness of their confinement. The door closed behind them with a slam and they were both bathed in darkness.

She swallowed.

Her arms involuntarily wrapped around the smaller body before her. The scent of her was intoxicating, and her soft, slender body against hers more than pleasant. Outside, she could hear heavy clack and the door bounced slightly, as something slammed against the center of the door. As her eyes adjusted, she blinked confusedly at the other girl. _What.. was.. happening exactly?_

"Looks like you two are stuck in there!"

"Guess you'll just have to make the best it!"

"Well, we finished early, so that gives you about... _seven minutes_."

_Oh._

Her eyes had begun to adjust, and now she could see the outline of the form against her own body. With a sigh, she leaned back against the wall, as the door shook with the weight of the bodies and giggles on its other side. The form against her nuzzled itself closer, tucking head under chin and she sighed, letting the weight of her her head fall upon it.

The door shook, as the voices and giggles floated through the thin door.

"Oh, move!"

"Let me see!"

"It's dark, you putz! You can't see anything!"

"Urgh, I can't hear anything!"

A knock landed on the door, shaking the coats around them.  
"Hey you two! You're supposed to be making out in there!"

Ami's form had since leaned back against the wall, her head rolled up to the ceiling in annoyance, her arms still wrapped around the body before her. Hotaru shook silently, but with Mina's last outburst, the giggles finally escaped her and they tittered out to the waiting crowd on the other side.

This only seemed to impassion her further, as the poundings on the door became harder, as if from a fist.

"Hey! No giggling! KISSING!"

"If they are kissing, it's not gonna be very loud..."

"...and how would _you _know that?"

This only made Hotaru's giggles grow louder, and she leaned in to plant a slight peck on Ami's chin in defeat. When Ami shook her head silently, the girl sent her a puzzled look. In answer, Ami pulled her phone from its pocket and pointed silently at the time as it lit up in the room.

" You should be KISSI-"

Hotaru took a minuscule step back, just as the door opened beside her and Ami was blinded by the light again. She blinked, and she was barely able to make out the silhouette of Haruka, hovering over their forms. She leaned back as far as she could, away from the painful light and the form of the angry blonde. An angry growl escaped from the racer and a strong hand landed on Hotaru's shoulder, and wordlessly she was dragged away.

"Okay guys... I'll see you next week, then."

She waved gaily, her words and breath jumpy as the hard hand on her shoulder left no room. She barely had enough room to grab her pack, and it dragged a few feet behind her before she was able to wrap it around unhindered shoulder. Haruka's strong hand across her shoulder only grew stronger, forcing the girl to walk in front of her and manhandling her form out the door to disappear down the steps.

Ami watched with a look of awed horror on her face as the girl was led out of the room. To her surprise and relief, the racer decided against acknowledging her existence at all. Ami's form had stayed frozen, watching with gaped jaw and open cell phone until Hotaru's breathless titter and the haughty form of Haruka had long disappeared down the stairs. A giggle interrupted her shock, and function finally returned to her arms when the laughter was echoed by two more bodies. Her hands fell back to their place by her sides with an audible slap, then rose to hold her head in shock.

"You guys... are going to get me... _killed_."

* * *

The door slammed so hard beside her that the car shook with the force of it. Hotaru waited, silently, as the figure walked around to the other side and slid into her own seat silently. The second door slammed with equal force, and the racer fixed her with a long, hard stare that she knew better than to return, before turning her attention to the road and starting the car.

Her Papa's foot was heavy on the pedal, and she revved the engine so hard that the whole car vibrated in protest. She shot her another look, then the car jumped with so much speed that her head rocked in its cradle. Automatically, her hands snapped the seat-belt on and she gripped the armrests so tight her knuckles turned white. She wasn't scared, but still... There was no need for her to get rocked around in her seat like a rag-doll, was there?

The drive was silent, aside from the roaring of the engine below their feet. She'd had drives with her Papa like this before, and they usually calmed her down. Her foot became heavier, her turns sharper, tighter, the under-steer pinwheeling the back of the car and she closed her eyes and pressed her head against the back of the seat, waiting for it to be over. When the car jerked unpleasantly, she finally took a chance and opened her mouth, fighting her papa's tantrums the only way she knew how.

"Studies show, that silent treatments are an extremely ineffective form of punishment."

She caught her breath as she felt the dark gaze fall upon her, and with relief, let the mask that was Saturn slip over her own. She didn't know who it was, her or Saturn, that had uttered those words, but she was happy to slip into a dark corner of her own mind as the street rushed past them in a blur, the wheels squealing in anger at the dizzying pace. A power too strong for her to control enveloped them, and she felt Saturn's power holding it there. It enveloped both their bodies, protecting them both as the world swept past them.

They pulled onto the freeway, and here she felt slightly, if not by much, safer. There were no tight corners, and she knew the racer had perfect control of the vehicle here. If she had been heavy on the gas before, now her foot was a rock. The world sped past them, a buzz, and neighboring cars honked and beeped as the blur of colors disappeared from her view. The blonde's eyes settled on her and Hotaru watched as Saturn's eyes matched a gaze that she could not. Finally, the racer spoke.

"You're out of line."

"No, Papa. _You_ are!"

"You're TWO!"

"We both know better than that."

The voice that fell from her lips was not hers, but that of Saturn's. It was saged, and more importantly angered, stilling the air around them effectively.

The sudden change in atmosphere caused Haruka to jerk her head to catch Saturn's gaze locked deep within her own. Haruka's mouth dropped open in amazement, in wonder, but she quickly turned back to the road, making the car flinch and swing in a near miss.

For a moment, there was silence and Saturn waited while Haruka gathered her thoughts, the weight on the gas easing off for the first time. When no words came, Saturn spoke again.

"You've done your job, Haruka. And I am thankful for it."

Her eyebrows furrowed, but this time she kept her eyes glued to the road before her.  
"...Who... are you?"

Saturn tilted her head.  
"I am your daughter. I am a protector of Earth, a senshi, bound to duty, with you and the others. I am the oblivion, destruction. And I am life."

The woman blinked, and risked a quick glance to the person sitting next to her. She tried to shake her head in disbelief but stopped, as if sorting the thoughts in her head.  
"...why?"

"Why? Why not? Is it destined? Is it written in the stars? Am I to be betrothed to my duty in solitude? Why, exactly! Why can't I have something for myself that I've never been given before, either? Am I not allowed to search for what others already have, so effortlessly, so passively? Why _not,_ Uranus?"

The racer blinked, removing her foot from the pedal completely and letting the car coast to acceptable speeds. There was silence as she processed this, her thoughts and gaze upon the road as it ran on, endless before her.  
"...So... it's not just Ho-chan? It's both? There's... _both_ of you in there?"

A soft smile shaded across her lips.  
"We are each other. As Hotaru is a vessel for me, I am a vessel for the child. We are one now, but not always. Sometimes, like when Hotaru was a child, I sleep. I wait. For now, we are one, and yes... Ami.. Mercury. She interests us. Puzzles us, as we do her... But, you fear, is it just Hotaru playing games?"

The smile darkened on her lips and the two caught eyes for a moment.  
"No, no, it's more than that. We have watched her.. for a long time. And we're tired of being alone. Of waiting. Of being alienated, in this mind, and in Hotaru's. And Mercury... she seeks to understand. She will live long, share my duty."

There was more silence as Saturn waited for the woman to speak again. The car slowed to normal speeds and exited off the ramp back onto city streets. When they stopped at a red light, she slammed a hand against the wheel, then removed it completely to stare at the girl sitting next to her.

"UGH! But you're still my daughter!"

And as if a curtain was lifted, Hotaru felt the veil that was Saturn clear away completely, control falling back to her. The darkness, the solace that was Saturn fell away with it and she felt herself again, happy, excitable over this new conversation. Her lips bloomed into a smile and she grinned.

"I always will be, Papa."

The racer gasped, and pulled back slightly in reflex from the sudden change. Hotaru demanded against it though, and wrapped her arm in a tight hug.

"I'll always be yours, Papa."

The racer sighed, relenting, and patted her leg lightly, leaving her hand there and turning back to the road as the the light turned green again.  
"Hai... Hai, I guess you will. I guess you win this one, Ho-chan."

* * *

A/N: REALLY excited to put this chapter up! Though we've talked to Saturn before, this is the first time she's been out and about, and answers a lot of questions about the how the two of them work as whole. Plus, she likes messing with 'Ruka.

OMAKE:

[Later during their drive home]

Hotaru: "So, Papa. How do two women have sex?"

Dear readers,

We are sorry to inform you that this story ends here.

There was a tragic accident involving famous Tennou Haruka driving into a wall, causing herself and her daughter, Tomoe Hotaru, the second main character of this story to die on spot. Any attempts to revive them failed as none of the meds carried a silver crystal in their first-aid kits.

We sincerely apologize for this unforeseen event, but hope you enjoyed the story to this point.

#Your crazy writers


	9. Flashback: Testing the Waters (Part I)

She opened her eyes to clear blue. It was all around her; it surrounded her, held her. The deep blue slowed her movements, sent fire through her lungs and stung her eyes to numbness. The surface broke before her, and the world morphed. The noise was deafening, the colors and constant movement leaving trails across her stained eyes. She swallowed thick lungfuls of air, gasping, clawing for it, before cutting back through the water.

She was doused in peace again. The sounds and colors faded, the movements, so loud and deafening before, muted underneath the surface. She was bathed in it; the hum of the water rushing past, the steady rhythm of her heartbeat within her ears. Her muscles strained with each passing stroke and she pushed faster, further, reveling in the joy of it.

She was home here.

It was here, and only here, beneath the surface of water, that she allowed herself to let go of all rationalization, to stop thinking about her school grades and the mundane things that kept her mind busy all the time, that kept her from the really important things.

Lost inside a sea of blue that was all hers, her mind felt free enough to wander. It all shed away as easily as the water that gave way before her. The questions that burned, surfaced and she could swipe at them until they faded away. She could think here.

_Hotaru._

Why did butterflies fill her stomach when she thought of her? Why, even on her darkest days, did that twinkling smile make her day better? ...Why couldn't she stop thinking of her when she was supposed to be studying? Why did she see those intriguing eyes before her, whenever she closed her own?

What was she thinking? What was she doing? This was all just one big joke, blown out of proportion. The warrior of destruction couldn't.._actually_ like her.

Hotaru was way too young for any of that! ((Still an adolescent!)) Wasn't she? How old was she, really? Two? ..Fifteen? A millennium!? ...No! She wasn't even in high school! Poor Hotaru was probably just as confused as she was, all the years rushing before her, trying to find her place within them. And here she was, the friend, the fellow senshi, reading too much into simple patter! No, this was bad.

...This was _very_ bad.

But then.. why did she call it a date? Why did she kiss her good-night? And why, when it was all said and done, had Ami never corrected her about it, after all this time?

Well, the younger girl hadn't brought it up, and she certainly couldn't find the words herself. Then there was the lack of privacy- that was another matter altogether. But, why did she act like nothing was different? Why did she show up at study sessions, with that brilliant smile, those knowing eyes that spoke a thousand words, just to give her shivers, set her senses on fire and disappear again? Was she just her game? Was she nothing more than entertainment, to the goddess of destruction and life at that?

That specific thought sent a shudder through her entire body. It was a scary, exhilarating thought. Such a powerful, wise... _young_ being. What would it be like, underneath her steady gaze, her cool fingers? But.. _no._ She kicked off viciously, violently as she purged that particular thought from her mind. This was inappropriate _(what would the others think?!)_, flawed _(such a dirty idea)_, bound to fail _(even if we tried.. Tried..._ _hnnn..)_-...! And for _her _to even be thinking such things!

This was very, very bad.

...So why - even though she knew how wrong it was - couldn't she shake the girl from her thoughts?

* * *  
Hotaru opened the door to the swimming hall. She looked around, holding her towel securely around her body. There were so many people. Some in, some outside the water. Children ran around, parents called after them, voices and cheerful squeals echoing about, mixing with the sound of splashing water.

A particular shape caught her attention. A slender form cutting through the pool, speeding along the lane farthest from her. Graceful, yet powerful strokes giving the figure momentum, barely disturbing the water. It was almost as if the water itself pushed the body forward.

Hotaru smiled. The way the girl owned the element around her, swimming in such elegant, gliding motions, reminded her of her Michiru-mama. But instead of a wave of turquoise, she spotted an equally familiar patch of blue.

_Ami._

Taking in a deep breath, Hotaru unwrapped the towel from her body. She straightened her back and threw the cloth over a shoulder, smiling to herself. Sometimes, it was a good thing Michiru always insisted on her having a fitting set of bathing attires... She let her steps follow her gaze, which was settled on the body gliding coolly through the water before her.

The swift body approached the wall, and the transition was so graceful she stopped in her steps to appreciate it. Beneath her student's gaze, the motion was fluid as long legs disappeared beneath the soft waves in a splash, and then the body was gone again, slicing through the water in quick, studied strokes.

With a smile, she stopped at her chosen location. Still watching the fast approaching figure, she dropped her legs into the water and waited. Like a true swimmer (as expected from the water senshi), Ami didn't check her path when she swam. Just as her own Michiru-mama had taught her, the girl ducked her head and left it there, cutting a path through the water as her arms pulled her forward.

She was mid-stroke when her hands hit something that shouldn't be there. She was running on so much momentum, she found it completely impossible to even slow her path. Her hand was running, palming down what could only be a long, smooth leg. Her palm ran down the entire length of it, grazing, until she felt the tickle of toes brush beneath her touch.

She was already trying to backpedal (_Who the hell would sit HERE?_), but she just couldn't stop. Trying to prevent her other hand to follow the doomed trail of the first, she pulled her body up as fast as she could, pinwheeling back, desperately trying to stop her forward motion. The water, before a quiet solace, was splashing, rocking around her in small chaos as she jutted a chin up for a hasty, premature breath.

To her horror, the water from her eyes cleared as she still fought the water from her nose to see Tomoe Hotaru's still form, smiling idly down at her, The surprise caused her to sharply gasp for air (not a smart plan), even though she hadn't managed to get her mouth above water.

"TARu-Ppuuc" She didn't have enough time to get the full sylllable out before her head plunged helplessly underwater again. Thankfully, her instincts took over once she dipped for a second time, but most of the damage had already been done. She surfaced again, coughing and sputtering as she willed the burning water from her lungs. Expecting the body there this time, she reached out a hand and pulled herself to the wall beside Hotaru, locking her arms there to hold herself up before she was lost to the depths again.

She tried to look up at the girl before her, but she couldn't help that her gaze fell to the smooth legs at her eye level first, up her toned stomach and the soft curves of neck and shoulder... Realizing what she was doing, she shook her head violently, spraying Hotaru and herself with water before running a rough hand through blue locks, slicking the hair back.

When she looked up again, her reddened eyes thankfully did not linger.  
"-Ta- Taru.." She tried to get the words out between helpless coughs, ".. Wha- ... what are you doing here?"

The woman shrugged before her, kicking her legs slowly in the cool water.  
"You didn't answer your cell."

That explained absolutely _nothing_. She struggled for words, and finally settled on the most imminent of waiting questions.  
"Ah-ba- we- WHY are you sitting HERE?"

Her response was rather matter-of-fact.  
"I wanted you to see my new swimsuit."

At the mention of the revealing attire, Ami's eyes involuntarily roved over the lean body before her. She took in the sight of the almost black, dark purple two piece the other girl wore. Though being rather revealing, the velvet cloth covered all the right amount of skin, both leaving little room for imagination and feeding the same. The top was held up by thin laces that were tied in Hotaru's neck, leaving her shoulders bared... Ami swallowed hard. Realizing what she was doing, she visibly flinched, averting her eyes back up the magentas that waited for her, winking knowingly as she blushed.

"Ah.. AH! YES! It's... ahh.. It's very nice. It looks good on you."

"Awwww. Does it really?"

"YES it doe-... Uhm..." Her eyes rolled to the full pool behind her, looking for any distraction from the smiling teenager before her. "Are you just gonna sit there, or are you going to come swim with me?"

The teenager's eyes roved past Ami to the crowds beyond. Without warning, she pulled her arms back and pushed herself off the ledge she had been sitting on. In a soundless, swift motion her body dove into the waters before Ami. Surprised, Ami pushed herself from the wall, her eyes skimming the rippled water for the familiar form. An unexpected tickle at her foot made her jump. And then, shedding water in all directions, a raven head shot up in front of her, only a breath away from her face. Mauve eyes glittered playfully at her. A wink, and then she was gone, dipping between the lane markers to get to the public area, her carefree giggle trailing behind her.

"Hey! Wait!"

* * *

Hotaru pressed her stiff joints against the whirlpool jets with a sigh, as Ami did the same opposite her. Here, away from the crowds and noise of the larger pool area, it was just the two of them. She smiled at the blue-haired beauty before her.

"Michi-mama always scolds me for not tucking my elbows. She says it's what slows me down. I've had some extensive training, compartively. I haven't met any that can pass me but her, with the training she gives me. But you.. cut straight past me."

The other girl let out a heavy breath of air, a tired smile on her lips as she rocked her head back against the cool tile wall, the pressured jets settling a mist over the two of them as they spoke.

"Your technique is definitely good, though I'm not sure I could tell you what it's lacking, in any sort. I-... My mom... She dropped me into grandma's pool when I was three, and I just took straight to the water..."

Hotaru suggestively raised an eyebrow.  
"Seems like you got a bit of head-start on me there, huh? In fact... I'm almost positive, you were cheating."

The genius' eyebrows knitted together cutely.  
"How _could _I cheat? It's water, I moved through it. You were there."

Her words started out matter-of-factly, but moved into the tone of exasperation. Hotaru couldn't help but break eye contact. Turning her head and stretching neck muscles, she hid her smile as Ami continued. "Seriously, how does one cheat? In water? It has equal, distributed force. If anything, you were cheating, because if I was ahead, I was breaking the tension before us..."

The chuckle that Hotaru was biting back finally bubbled out, dark and knowing as she brought her glance back to the prettily offended girl in front of her. This reaction surprised Ami so much that she stopped mid-sentence, waiting for Hotaru to explain. Hotaru studied the girl before her appreciatively, feeling a sly smile form on her lips, before she brought her knowing eyes back to the blue orbs waiting for her.

"What, you don't think you were subconsciously using your element to your favour, even a little?"

Ami blinked at her.  
"Is that even possible? Without transfo-..."

Hotaru smirked back at her, tossing elbows back onto cool tiles.  
"Have you ever tried to clap with one hand?"

Ami blinked, speechless.

Hotaru smiled, enjoying the floored look she received. She winked at the other girl, well-aware of the knowing glint in her own eyes.

After a moment, Ami shook her head and and turned to stare at a point in the pool, losing herself to her previous quest.

Hotaru leaned back, content to watch as the gears ticked through the girls head. Pert lips parted slightly in thought, and deep blue orbs floated to the ceiling. Her exposed skin was beginning to turn red under the heat of steam and she smiled, letting her eyes linger on the flushed skin. Her gaze slowly traveling up, appreciating soft, glistening skin of neck that gave away to clean, perfectly modeled chin and soft lips. Unknowingly or not, she hadn't bothered to resettle her hair, and it still sat slicked back, held in place by the weight of water and chlorine. It gave her a deeply rogue'ish look - the soft, unobtrusive curls gave way to the defined lines of her features giving her a confident demeanor. Hotaru found herself enjoying this rogue wet-look on the usually reserved genius.

A lovely sight... Hotaru didn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. And she didn't really care what was going to happen next. As long, as she could continue to enjoy Ami's presence. She leaned back with a contented sigh, letting the familiar words fall from her lips in their original, english tongue.

"Second star to the right...and straight on 'til morning..."

"...That sounds like a Star Trek reference..."

She pulled her head up from its comfortable place in its cradle, to see Ami smirking at her knowingly. "You got that?"

"...Yeah, sixth movie, right?"

"Wait, you're a Trekkie?!"

Ami paused, tilting her head in thought, a playful smile painted on her lips.  
"...maybe."

"Which captain!?"

"...Picard."

"Captain James Tiberius Kirk!"

"Did you see the new movie?"

Hotaru giggled, fangirling now. "Did you see the new Kirk?" She leaned forward with excitement, bringing her hands together before her chest.

Ami squinted her eyes and laughed. "...well, I did like what they did with Nyota."

Hotaru giggled, the enthusiasm dripping off of her now.  
"Oh, you mean Nyota _Uhura_? Yeah, in the movie she's really smart and pretty much good looking- ...much like you."

The silence hung between them heavily, for a short second before Hotaru broke the silence.  
"...So, who's your fave character?"

"Dunno, I... I kinda always thought the Borg were fascinating..."

Hotaru's eyebrows shot into forehead, as Ami darted her eyes away shyly.  
"You wanted to be Borg?!"

"No, no, not like that! I just thought the potential of their collective mind was interesting... If the vastness of the human mind was untouched, imagine what a collective mind could do, the library of knowledge it could share."

Hotaru giggled.  
"Resistance- is- futile."

The genius shook her head with a grin. Hotaru loved this, the ease of conversation that slipped so easily between them. It seemed like, the more she talked to this woman, the more she had in common with her. She smiled to herself as she watched the tenseness fall away from the blunette, the new smile bloom that she had never seen before. "...Well, when I first watched TNG, I wanted to be like Beverly Crusher..."

"Of course. The ship's smart, sexy, female doctor!"

"...of course, this is all fiction, and I was very disappointed when I figured that most of the treatments will not be made possible in the next century - or ever."

Hotaru blinked. She didn't have to weigh the question long before the words slipped from her lips. Besides, it wasn't like she wouldn't figure it out eventually.  
"...you know, as senshi, we can... teleport."

Ami paused, her mouth dropping open in disbelief as her eyes furrowed in thought.

"Beam me up, Scotty!" Hotaru winked at a bewildered looking Ami, and explained further. "Yeah, completely possible. I've caught Setsu-mama doing it a couple times by herself. ...I think it's mean when she uses her power to outrun Haruka-papa... but also fun! ...That look on her face when Setsu-mama suddenly popped up before her – priceless!"

She loved the sound of Ami's emerging laughter. Not the shy, repressed one that she was used to hearing, when there were people around, when the genius was still so worried about perception. But.. _this_ one. It was as if she forgot about any onlookers, anyone potentially judging, and all the weight she usually carried on her shoulders disappeared.

And Hotaru-... She wanted to know this Ami more.

The pretty voice of the one she was currently musing about, stirred her out of her thoughts. She blinked, shaking her head to distill the thoughts. _What had she said? How had she missed her words when she was looking right at her?_

"Ah, sorry. What?"

The pretty genius smiled right at her. A genuine smile, bared of the shyness that usually cloaked it. _Yeah... I like her.  
_"I said, are you hungry too? Swimming always leaves me hungry..."

Hotaru grinned. She'd been waiting for this opportunity. "Yes. And I know the perfect place I wanna take you."

Ami had already stood up to leave the pool, but when she heard the rest of Hotaru's words she froze, giving Hotaru a welcomed opportunity to behold and admire her full figure, and the beauty displayed before her, the water cascading off of her in gleaming rivulets. When Ami spoke again, there was uncertainty in her voice, no doubt from the way Hotaru's eyes roved over her unabashedly.

"...You-... You want to take me somewhere?"

_...anywhere..._

Hotaru grinned, jumping up and out of the pool in a fluid motion, heading for the showers. She smiled over her shoulder, giving the other girl no choice but to follow.  
"Yeah, you know, to return the favor. Trust me, you'll love it."

Hotaru smiled to herself as she grabbed her bag out of her locker. She slipped a hand into the bag, but stopped, realizing the item she was looking for wasn't there. _That's what I get for rushing. I forgot to pack it..._ She turned around, just in time to see the familiar head of blue hair disappear between a gap in the row of lockers leading to the showers. _Well, might as well-..._ She smiled to herself, following the girl until she disappeared behind one of the shower curtains.

She picked the stall directly next to her, only a sheer, murky plastic divider between them. Through it, Hotaru could see the blurry form of her, the dark colored patch of the swimsuit she still wore, accompanied by sound and moisture braiding in the air as the shower turned on. With a shrug, she leaned against the edge of the blind screen and ducked her head behind the other curtain.

She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were robbed of her when she was met with the image of the water senshi. Streams of water washed down her body, engulfing her, as if trying to adapt to her silhouette down to the length of her legs. Her swimsuit clung to her like a second skin, accentuating the girls' slender form, a precious bum, a slim waist, the shadow of her spine... Drops of water reflected the neon light of the room in all shades on her bare shoulders and neck. The water had already soaked her hair, darkening and slickening it. A sight that left her breathless. The nymph had her head completely ducked under the shower-head, hands holding her up against the tiles, so she never even noticed Hotaru peeking in.

Hotaru blinked, shaking her head profusely, clearing her head before she got carried away and straightened her throat. The girl before turned slightly, but when her eyes landed on Hotaru's eyes staring at her, she jumped in surprise, almost hitting her head on the shower head in the process, and turned around fully. Ami's mouth dropped open, but Hotaru saved her the trouble of asking any questions.

"Hi. I forgot my shampoo and things... Can I use yours?"

Wordlessly, Ami nodded and bent down to the bottles sitting at her feet. While Hotaru took in the unobstructed view of the firm, small bum, strong thighs and long legs, she decided she'd rather stay in here. So, by the time Ami turned back around with bottle in hand, Hotaru had already entered the rest of the way into her stall, and pulled the curtain back shut behind her.

Ami's eyes widened alarmingly, but Hotaru shrugged nonchalantly at her. She moved in closer towards Ami, who almost flailed backwards and this time actually grazed the shower head with her own.

"Aw, calm down, Ames. It's not as if I was gonna bite you." _-but then again..._

Betraying her words, Hotaru took the opportunity to look Ami over again, who busied herself with rubbing the back of her head with her free hand and stuttering adorably flushed. Yes, she'd definitely rather stay in here...

"Thanks," Smiling, Hotaru lifted her hand to take the shampoo from Ami, but then stopped mid-motion. "...on second thought... I think I might have pulled a muscle during the swim. I feel a bit sore in my shoulder."

She had to bite back a smile, as Ami forgot all about her personal space being intruded and switched into Doctor Mizuno Jr. mode.  
"Really? Where? Does it hurt much? You should be careful with these things-"

"-you can help me out, then?"

Dr. Ami blinked confusedly when Hotaru turned around and smiled over her shoulder at her. "You wouldn't mind, would you?" She nodded to the shampoo, still in Ami's hands and waited.

She could hear the penny clink, when it finally dropped. The bluenette's eyes widened, scanned over her back, barely clad by the strings and spare cloth of her bikini, then dropped onto her reportedly hurt shoulder, the bottle that she held in a tight grip with both hands now and once again back to meet Hotaru's patiently waiting and slightly amused gaze.

"Uhn... I-... uh... sure?"

"Thank you," Hotaru turned her head around, and feeling a bit too close to the cold fabric of the plastic shower curtain, took a careful step backwards. There was a longer pause. _...I hope, I didn't go too far this time-..._

A click echoed through the shower stall, cutting through the ongoing rush of water behind her. Then a squeezing noise and the sound of plastic against tiles, and a moment later, she felt careful hands applying slightly chilly shampoo onto her head. A tiny shiver went through her body in response. She felt a tap on her shoulders, in a pulling motion.

With a small smile on her lips, Hotaru complied to the gentle hint and moved another step backwards until the spray of warm water hit her shoulders. "...thanks," she muttered, not sure if her voice was loud enough to be carried over the sounds of the shower.

Ami continued spreading the shampoo over her hair. A fresh, sporty mint scent quickly filled the stall. It smelled good, clear, almost cool. Hotaru closed her eyes. She had smelled this scent before, during their study sessions, whenever the genius leaned over to her to point something out or explain to Hotaru... The idea of smelling like this herself, carrying Ami's scent with her-...

A quiet sigh erupted within Hotaru's throat. Ami had begun to intensify her treatment, gently rubbing the shampoo into her hair, letting her fingers glide through it; testing, applying pressure and massaging her scalp. This felt good... very good.

Hotaru tilted her head backwards a little, offering the taller girl better access. As she moved, she noticed how close their bodies had gotten, connecting fleetingly while Ami continued more and more confidently to wash her hair and massage her head. She could feel the warmth of Ami's skin beneath the fabric of the girl's bathing suit, and as she raised her arms more and leaned in closer to treat to Hotaru's temples from behind, she could feel a distinct softness pressing against her back. Still holding her eyes shut, Hotaru saw a flicker beyond her eyelids from the touch, her senses tingling, as another quiver shot through her spine, and a short moan escaped before she could stop it.

Her eyes shot open and she felt herself stiffen a little. Biting her lips, she waited for a change in Ami's motions. She wasn't sure if there indeed was a light jump, a brief pause, but Ami's overall motions continued uninterrupted. Hotaru took a deep, shaky breath and tried to convince herself that the rush of water had covered her slip up. And the thought of ending the procedure left her mind as quickly as it came, when Ami's fingers glided over her temples again, behind her ears and down her neck, only to shove up against the base of her neck. The digits parted her wet hair, thumbs and pads sympathetically massaging her muscles.

Ami's hands worked their way gradually down to Hotaru's shoulders, gently and effectively soothing away every tiniest knot and tension, Hotaru hadn't even been aware of. Hotaru admired and enjoyed the treatment, the slim, strong and skilled hands on her skin. Smooth and gentle, but also strong and thorough. Part of her cursed the string of her top that obstructed these gliding, intense motions around her neck. She was aware, that Ami still had her supposedly hurt shoulder in mind, and would have felt bad for taking advantage of the other girl in this manner-... if only this didn't feel so wonderful, so beyond enjoyable...

She felt the girl behind her moving again, adding light pressure to her shoulders and guiding her further beneath the spray of warm water. She had long closed her eyes again, relishing in the scents and touches that were the water senshi's. She felt herself being engulfed in the sensations, the girl's element streaming over her hair and skin, Ami's hands flowing along over her, rinsing her hair, stroking her neck and shoulders...

Then, suddenly she was alone under the water. Frowning, she turned around, but found Ami in the corner of the shower with her back turned to her.

"You are clean now." Ami's voice was quiet.

Disbelief washed over her, as she watched the other girl starting to shampoo her own hair. Next came an unreasonable flash of anger, which she was fairly aware of being rooted in disappointment, the sudden loss of delight she had just felt - yet, knowing this, didn't do much to stop her from pouting her lips and glare at the tantalizing bluenette's back. But the other didn't turn around.

With a frustrated huff, Hotaru whirled around on her heels and pushed the shower curtain aside. Before she left, she cast one last, accusing glare over her shoulder.  
"A-ku-mi."

* * *

A/N:

'Akumi' is a reference to PGSM, where Ami turned evil for a couple episodes. She is dubbed 'Akumi' or 'Dark Mercury' / 'Darkury'. Literal translation (kanji-based): Ami = asian beauty; Akumi = Dark Beauty. We found it fitting for Hotaru to use it, calling Ami a 'tease'.  
~TheKueken

"I really like how Ami got almost offended when Hotaru accuses her of cheating while swimming. It was very like her to try and 'defend' the laws of physics. You know, cuz no one else is going to."  
~Neverknew


	10. Flashback: Testing the Waters (Part II)

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Our usual publish day is Thursday - Thanksgiving, and it was Sunday before I even realized we had missed our date. This story will be coming to a close soon.. but we have plans in the works for the second. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as we did writing!

* * *

Ami walked into the dressing area. She found Hotaru fully-dressed and letting out a frustrated huff as she smacked a non-responsive hair dryer. Ami smiled good-naturedly, taking it from her hands. "The pre-installed ones here are finicky."

With a practiced flick and well-placed tap, the item sprung to life. She handed it back to the girl who gave her an appreciative look. With a blush, the bluenette tightened the towel around herself and disappeared around the corner to get dressed herself.

With a huff, her duffel bag landed on the bench with a thump. _I need to keep my distance from her..._

She shook her head, pulling on her clothes quickly as the blush deepened on her cheeks and the thoughts danced through her head. _It's just a thing girls do! Mina and Usa shower together all the time, there's nothing wrong with it! It is just me being socially awkward... and over-thinking... and-... but geez, why did she have to wear such a revealing bikini?! ...not that she had or lacked anything to be ashamed of... in fact, she's pretty well built for her age... her... physical age..._

After straightening her clothes one last time, she threw her bag over her shoulder with a finalizing breath. The genius walked around the lockers and scanned the dressing room for the young beauty, but found her nowhere. Slightly confused, Ami returned to the hall. After skirting the pool, she spotted the girl who busied herself watching the other occupants splashing noisily through the cool water.

Ami forced a casual smile to her features as she approached her, noting the slightly dark look held in the other girl's eyes.  
"So, food now? Where did you wanna go?"

The gloom dissolved, and she was greeted with a much more familiar smile, the glitter returning to Hotaru's eyes.  
"It's a secret."

Without another word, the girl took Ami's hand into her own and she had no choice but to follow her lead. As soon the hold on her loosened, Ami withdrew her hand and tucked it underneath the strap of her bag. She knew it was a thing that all people occasionally did, not just dating couples, but it had never been something she had done herself or had felt compelled to sustain when initiated by others. _Does she know how much she plays with me?_ She let out a frustrated sigh, which Hotaru caught, casting her a worried look. "You okay?"

Ami shook her head_._ _You read too much into her_ _actions. She probably doesn't even realize the things she does_ _\- and their effects on you..._ With another quick shake of her head, she banished the thought. "Hm. School's been rough lately."

The girl next to her frowned. "It is? You don't seem strained by it."  
"I don't?"

"...well, earlier-... in the pool, you seemed so much at ease, relaxed. I liked that. It looks good on you."

The rest of their walk was mostly quiet, but that's what she liked about Hotaru. It wasn't an awkward silence, like the ones the other girls usually tried to fill with meaningless banter and gossip. With Hotaru, it was a calm understanding, a quiet; one she didn't necessarily feel the need to fill. Their light conversation was easy, unforced, weightless and before she realized it Hotaru was pulling light laughter out of her, her heavy thoughts flitting away into the twilight.

When they turned into a plaza, Ami smiled, her eyes falling onto an outdoor soba-snack bar that already had a filling line. "You know... I knew there was a plaza nearby... I didn't know it was this close to where I swim."

Hotaru smiled, unshouldering her bag and handing it to Ami. "Yeah, I figured as much. Go grab a seat over there, I'll bring our food." Ami caught the bag, blinking and unaware as to where the girl had disappeared off to so quickly. With a shrug, she quickly sat down at one of the open seats on the far end. It was a workday evening, and the bar was rapidly filling up for dinnertime rush.

Hotaru found her way back quickly enough, balancing two huge bowls before her as she passed some business men about to enjoy their knocking-off time. As soon she set the steaming bowls down in front of Ami, the inviting scents began to fill her senses with delight.

"How did you know?"

"It wasn't hard to guess, after our last place. I remembered my parents bringing me here at some point, and I figured you'd appreciate it. You know, open air, hot food. What's not to love?"

Ami contently swallowed before grinning with satisfaction.  
"You got me on this one... So... speaking of which. Meeting me, I mean.. How exactly did you find me?"

"Well, after you didn't pick up your cell, I tried land-line. Your mother answered. She told me where I could find you."

Ami hoped she couldn't see the sweat-drop that was forming on her forehead. _Geez, mom! Did you even fax the girl a map with the exact directions or what?! Wait, probably._

She shook the thought from her head, pushing on. "Ah.. well then. That explains that. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Hotaru shrugged. "I forgot."

* * *

"Have you read Tolkien? His stuff is HUGE. I thought it'd be a good practice for my English..."

Ami tilted her head, eyes squinting in thought as she scanned the treeline. "Hnnn.. I didn't get through the trilogy. I stopped someways into the first. I read the Hobbit but it just.. didn't stay with me. I know he was going for all this amazing imagery, but it was just... kinda lost on me."

Hotaru nodded in assent as she followed beside her in step. They had finished their meal in relative peace, and finding the weather too nice to ignore, now meandered peacefully through the park. "It's a relief to hear I'm not the only one. I liked the Hobbit, but the trilogy was so dry and I couldn't get through the first one." Hotaru shook her head with a laugh, and eyes falling upon her target, she quickened her pace. "..-I knew it was around here somewhere, come on!"

Ami had no choice but to follow blindly. To her surprise, Hotaru stopped just as abruptly, and Ami barrelled into her back. The impact sent them both stumbling forward a couple steps, but Hotaru simply hopped another step forward and let her eyes wash quickly over the menu in front of them. "Chocolate, please."

Ami let out a huff of a breath. "All that for ice cream?"

Hotaru giggled, watching excitedly as quick hands loaded the cone. "Of course, for ice cream. Why wouldn't I run for ice cream?"

"Isn't it a little chilly for it?"

Hotaru smiled back, as she took the proffered cone and gladly tasted it with an avid lick. "That's the best time for it. Don't just stand there, tell him what kind you're having so I can pay the man."

"Ahh, we-err.." Debating denying the offer, her decision was made for her when Hotaru produced some coins from her pocket and slid them across the counter. She shrugged. "Well, green tea, then."

She tried to shoot the girl a scolding look, but couldn't quite manage it as she took in the girl happily licking at the treat, bouncing in delight from the sugary pleasure. "I didn't know you had a sweet tooth."

"Maybe Chibi-Usa rubbed off on me somewhat, but I don't really mind. I really hadn't tried half of the things before I met her. Besides, it's a nice treat. And everyone needs a treat now and then." She nodded in example to the cone now being handed over to Ami.

With a shrug, Ami assented and gave her own ice cream a try.  
"Well, I guess you got me there... too."

Hotaru couldn't help smiling, wrapping her in light hug before returning to their previous path.  
"And I got a smile, too. I think you need to keep me around for that, Ami."

Having no retort for this, she only followed idly in her path as they worked on their treats silently.  
"Hey, it's getting late. Isn't your papa going to be looking for you?"

"Nah. It's concert season. Mom and Papa will be out all night at a concert, and Puu will disappear into her library for days. I still haven't figured out if she needs to sleep or not."

Ami popped the end piece of her cone into her mouth, effectively hiding the smile that spread over her features upon a certain stray thought...  
_I can keep you to my self a bit longer then..._

Their topics floated here and there as their feet wandered on, and Ami loved it.

"There."

"Hm?" Ami raised her eyes in surprise to the sudden disturbance, as she followed the swash of Hotaru's finger against the dark sky. "The gazebo?"

Hotaru nodded with a smile as they headed in its direction. She noted, as they clambered up the steps under the roof, that it would give them perfect privacy in the dark as well. She took a seat in the secluded shelter and Hotaru settled in next to her.

She turned to say something as the girl got comfortable, but words left her. Instead, her jaw dropped when she was met with the view of Hotaru popping the last bit of cone into her mouth and dragging a long, slow tongue up a digit before doing the same to the next. Luckily, the girl was so focused on her task that she didn't see her stare. Ami swallowed, shaking her head to clear the hormones racing through her head.

As if on cue, the girl turned to her.  
"Pretty out, today."

Her eyes followed the gaze of Hotaru's to the placid lake before them. Streaks of light of the low hanging, orange sun were dancing along its surface, glittering and gleaming at them. A cool breeze rippled the surface slightly. It was placid here and she felt she could lose herself over the peaceful sight, the dewy scent carried over by the wind and the soft sound of the small waves against the lake's shore, and somehow it seemed that Hotaru was happy to follow her there. She didn't know how much time passed between them in silence, enjoying the solace and the peace that had settled there. When she felt a soft weight settle against her shoulder, she wrapped a hand around the warm body protectively.

Eventually, it was Hotaru that broke silence.  
"Which do you prefer, when you have the choice? Lake or pool?"

She pulled her gaze away to see the mauve eyes glittering at her curiously. She was mid-motion before she realized she had graced one of the soft cheeks with her finger, tucking a stray strand behind ear. The girl didn't seem to mind at all, so she let her finger lay against the smooth cheek for a moment as she studied the girls' eyes. She blinked, suddenly aware of their close proximity. She pulled her head back slightly, but Hotaru placed a gentle hand on Ami's neck, stopping her retreat.

She paused, the thoughts swirling through her head. A stunned silence sat between them as Ami tried to wrap her head around the delicate situation and Hotaru waited, patiently, a breath's pace between them, their bodies so close she could feel the warmth of her. When words finally did fall from her mouth, they were blunt, brash even in her own ears, but her spinning mind allowed no room for tact.

"Aren't you jailbait?!"

Wordlessly, an eloquent eyebrow arched and Hotaru leaned back slightly. Otherwise, her look remained patient, untroubled.

"I-I -I just.. I'm not sure about this. I mean, sometimes you act like you're actually, genuinely interested in me. But then I see you with the others, and I'm just your teammate. You're supposed to be my student. This is completely, totally, _wholly _inappropriate, IF there even IS anything. But maybe there isn't anything at all! Maybe, you're just playing with me, and I'm misreading, and maybe you're getting carried away, but it's not like I even know how to READ these things in the first place. I have no clue what's going on in that _sharp_ little head of yours- that doesn't need my tutoring, by the way. And I'd like to know, but then I remember, I don't even know how OLD you are. How old are you, really, and would that make things any better? Wouldn't that make things worse? Even if you DID tell me your age, would that change my feelings? I can't stand how I can't stop thinking about you, and I can't stand that I can't figure you out! I'm a friggin' genius, but I don't get you! There's no equation to this, no logic, no formula, any theory or reason."

She paused, gasping for air. Her ears were ringing, and she felt like she was on the edge of panic... but it was too late for that. Now that she was here, she felt like she had to know the truth. "Is this just a misunderstanding? This must be all in my head... right? But then again, I think you are giving me all these signs, which I am really bad at reading to begin with and I-"

Her first instinct was to pull away, but the lips were soft against her own. To her own surprise, there was not the slightest moment of shock; everything else around her and all her thoughts and words immediately blurred away. Her entire world zoomed in on the touch. The scent and taste, sweet and intoxicating. It was short, superficial and light. But breathtaking, oscillating on Ami's lips, the warmth of the tentative contact bathing her senses and fogging her mind. And Ami wanted more of it.

When Hotaru began to pull away, Ami's head longingly followed, her hand moving of it's own accord, wrapping itself gently around Hotaru's neck and stopping her retreat.

They caught eyes and time froze around them for a long moment. For the first time, it was Hotaru that seemed insecure, cautious. The warm light glittered in those endlessly deep, mauve eyes before Ami and outside of their shared space, she could hear the soft, steady rush of water against the bay. A cool breeze swept over them, as it nipped at their flushed skin of cheeks. Ami's eyes dropped to Hotaru's lips, so close to her, so tempting, desirable... A hint of a smile played at the corner of Hotaru's lips and disappeared again. Ami pulled her gaze back up to meet Hotaru's, an unspoken question lingering between them. A bare earnesty glowed back at her through the serene eyes, an honesty there that she hadn't seen before. Ami felt herself captivated, loosing herself in the beauty and pureness of it, wanting to drown within it. Gradually, she felt herself physically drawn back, closing the distance again. With the wonderful image of warm, dark purple eyes gazing gently back at her through half-closed eyelids, she closed the bothersome distance between them and let her own eyes fall shut, enjoying the feeling of the soft silk that was Hotaru's hair as she tangled her fingers within the feathery locks.

This time, the contact was more confident, more demanding. She could feel the alluring warmth, almost taste the heat beneath the tender, smooth skin upon her own. And desire washed over her, a desire she had never experienced before, almost blinding her. Ami felt herself squeezing her eyes shut against the uncontrollable demand building up within her. And then she felt cool, slender fingers gently travel along her neck and cheekbone, coming to rest against her cheek, soothing her. A light nibble on her lower lip, and she felt herself melt. The bright white curtain within her mind parted and the light became warm, consoling and comforting. She took in a shaky breath, and was met again with the sweet, warm waft of Hotaru's scent. She pulled her lips away for a split of a second, licking her lips and indulging in the taste, before returning anxiously for more, parting her lips to capture the raven's. She inhaled again, this time seizing the sensation; discerning the scent of washed out chlorine and the fragrance of her own shampoo from Hotaru's hair, the vague flavor of chocolate from her lips and the indefinable redolence of the girl's flushed skin. An unassertive touch tickled the corner of her mouth, and before she could quite understand the feel, the tip of her own tongue glided caressing across Hotaru's smooth upper lip until it crossed paths with the other girl's. Tentatively their tongues touched, again and with growing curiosity they slid against each other, testing and tasting the sensation. Ami's tongue pulled back, her lips nibbled pleasurably on Hotaru's, lightly sucking, teeth nipping wistfully on them, until she felt the other girl warily lick her lips, asking for permission. Ami's lips granted, allowing the other access, searching gently and fondly brushing her tongue against Hotaru's. The deepened kiss was sensual, exciting, thrilling. Their hot breaths mixed, the scents saturated her senses, the warmth ensheathed her, the contact sent a series of hot flashes down her spine, accumulating, becoming unbearable.

She wanted to stay here forever; to bathe and be baptized in this feeling. She had never lost herself so completely or deeply before. If she stayed here forever, she would drown in it. An almost disturbingly pleasant notion... She pulled back slightly, and to her relief and crushing disappointment Hotaru's mouth did not follow her. She pulled in the intoxicating scent of her one last time - the entrancing, dumbfounding, addicting scent of it - and pulled away. For a long moment, she breathed deeply, listening to the heartbeat of Hotaru's pulse against her own, the warm breath of it against her cheek, the feel of the raven's warm flesh beneath her hands. If she opened her eyes, would it be gone? Was this just some long lost, horribly wonderful dream?

Ami blinked anxiously, the world slowly swimming into view with a smiling Hotaru at the center of it. - Well, reality wasn't such a let-down after all.  
"W-.. wow. What.. just happened?"

A pause, as Hotaru's gaze drifted towards the darkened sky and she thoughtfully pulled a lip between her teeth.  
"Ah, well. That would be a kiss. A good one, if I do say so myself.. We should do it again sometime... ..-Look, Venus is out tonight! We have a guardian."

Ami flinched, pulling her gaze behind her. A warm hand enveloped her own and she felt the weight of a head relax against her shoulder. She turned back to the girl, ready to pull away, but realized Hotaru's gaze was still in the sky. She relaxed with a sigh, turning her own head to the canopy as well as the girl settled more comfortably against her.

"Yeah.. she's been bright this month..."

A giggle escaped the girl next to her.  
"Just like the real Venus, huh? Is it me, or has she been even more excitable than usual lately?"

The laughter they shared was like a cool breath of air, and Ami relaxed into it. They spoke in murmurs and breaths, watching as the sky darkened before them and listening to the gentle sounds of the lake and wind around them. Eventually, a shiver ran through Hotaru and Ami instinctively pulled her closer, wrapping a warm arm around her.

With a sigh, Hotaru shivered slightly and burrowed deeper in to Ami's form.  
"I don't wanna go..."

Relenting to the smaller form, Ami wrapped her in a full hug, running her palms along cool arms in an attempt to warm them. She closed her eyes against the sky, laying her chin deflatedly on Hotaru's head as she spoke. "Mmmm. It's a school-night. Did you finish your homework."

It was a statement more than a question, and Hotaru let out a huff.  
"Yes, yes, of course I finished my homework. Wouldn't want Papa thinking your lessons were going to waste, now would we?"

With a smirk, they pulled away from each other reluctantly, and Hotaru stood with a stretch. Ami sighed, watching the girl stretch before speaking.  
"Your papa... is going to kill me."

Hotaru snickered, grabbing a hand and pulling her up.  
"Ignorance is bliss, don't you think?"

Ami rolled her eyes in answer, but found the smiling figure pulling her along too enjoyable to be worried about such uncomfortable topics. With a shrug, Hotaru led them both along the path to the nearest bus station. A warm hand slipped under her jacket and Ami leaned into it, casually draping her arm across Hotaru's shoulders.

"So, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve for my classes?"

"Tricks? You can't get by on _just_ tricks, you know."

A giggle in response, and the hand at Ami's back slid further until it wrapped around her waist and the lithe figure leaned slightly into her as they walked.  
"Oh, come on. I like Sensei's lectures, and he likes my input. But now he looks for me and I gotta lay low."

A throaty chuckle escaped Ami and she tucked her free hand into pocket while giving Hotaru's shoulder a gentle squeeze with the other, enjoying the moment.  
"Just write a story or something. He'll assume you're taking notes. And don't make eye contact. If you do, it's all over. And if you've made that much of an impression, it means you've got a free ride for the next couple of classes, so ride that out."

A pause, as the girl processed this.  
"...Write a story?"

"Yeah, I once wrote a whole fanfic in a couple of my classes. Star Trek, of course."

Immediately she felt the body next to her stiffen in excitement.  
"You write fanfiction? Really?"

Ami was already shaking her head in refusal, but she found it hard to deny the girl.

"Oh, you HAVE to let me read it! Please? Please? Pretty please? Pretty, pretty please? Pret-"

"Fine, fine, yes, okay!"

Ami tried to shoot the girl a dirty look but couldn't manage to keep a straight face, instead wrapped her in a half-hug as they walked and grinned.  
"_Yes._ You can read it. But you have to hold your grades up a little better for me. I know how you feel trying to blend in, but you could hurt your overall grades. That comes back at you later, you know. I am not going to hear it, when you can't get into your college choice, because you slacked off too much."

Hotaru rolled her eyes with a groan, pausing in her steps.  
"Hai, Sensei Mizuno."

A mutual pause passed between them as they both came to the same conclusion, their eyes settling on the bus stop ahead of them. A group of late workers milled quietly, waiting for the late bus.

With a sigh, Hotaru pointed down the sidewalk, opposite her bus stop.  
"You have to go that way."

Ami nodded, then turned her eyes back to the small group of people waiting idly in the cold, jutting her chin in their direction as she spoke.  
"Yeah. And you're there."

A quick moment of silence passed between them. Without warning, Hotaru laid a hand on Ami's stomach and guidingly pushed, leading them both off the sidewalk, into the shadow of a tree. Hotaru leaned against Ami, her hands lingering around the bluenette's waist and her eyes following idle patterns across her shoulders.  
"Soooo... I really enjoyed today."

A lingering pause shadowed Ami's words before she replied.  
"Yeah, I did too. I had a really good time."

"So... you have plans this weekend?"

"No.. not really?"

"..You wanna do this again sometime?"

Ami nodded, and after a moment's hesitation dropped a quick peck to Hotaru's cheek. Over the familiar sound of bus brakes, she heard a delighted giggle. She felt Hotaru's hands on her waist tighten and the girl leaned forward, tiptoeing. A hushed whisper wafted to her ear that only she could hear.  
"Thanks for the date, Ames."

And then, the precious warmth of the body beside her was gone, the girl was bouncing away and Ami was left to watch her retreating figure in confusion. She bounded up the steps in hops and springs, the bus door closing noisily behind her with a clack. The smiling face appeared in the window as the bus drove off. Ami gave one final wave as the engine roared loudly, and then she was left alone in the solitude of the night.

With a sigh, she pushed off the tree, rolling shoulders as she replayed the day in her head. A short chuckle escaped her, falling to deaf ears as she stood alone on the darkened sidewalk. "Huh. I have _no_ idea what I'm doing."

* * *

A/N: "Oh, fear that arched eyebrow. Hotaru's learned that move from her Michi-mama. It means, 'tell me what you REALLY think.' Hopefully, Ami will learn to not take the bait in time. Ruka's so hot-headed, she falls for it every time."  
~Neverknew

"...I bet, Hotaru dedicated an entire section in her diary to the "Mysteries around Pu-mama"..."  
~Kue


	11. Pride & Prejudice

A/N: Here it is; the final chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed the ride!

* * *

Ami hadn't even pulled her hand from the doorbell before it swung open; the intimidating form of Haruka appearing before her. The taller woman faltered only a short moment before frowning down on Ami, eyeing her suspiciously.

"What do you want?"

"Ahhh... Hotaru... forgot her book yesterday." She blushed, accidentally stumbling upon the precarious subject of 'yesterday'.

"She left in a bit of a hurry and... she.. has this class tomorrow, so she'll need it."

"Did you walk all the way here from the bus stop?"  
The sing-song voice of Michiru pulled Ami's gaze away from the clean doorstop. She pulled her gaze upwards to see the gentle woman smiling at her, an arm linked happily into Ruka's, whose athletic form managed to barricade the entire entrance.

"Ah, yeah... Took about half an hour..."

"We could have picked you up, Ami. You should have texted."

This statement, however, was counteracted by an angry humph that escaped Haruka's throat, who watched on in eerie silence through slitted eyes.

"I didn't want to bother you."

Haruka finally spoke, a challenging twang in her voice.  
"Wanted to sneak in without us finding out?"

Ami flinched.  
"No. I wanted to return her book. She needs it for school."  
To her own surprise, Ami realized an edge of anger and irritation raising in her own voice as she stared up into Haruka's dangerously glinting teals.

Michiru's light voice broke the heavy atmosphere.  
"She's up in her room, Ames. You can take it up to her."

"She can give it to me and I'll return it."

For a long moment, Ami and Haruka just stared in icy quiet at each other across the small space, the challenge hanging between them. Pulling in a deep, tense breath, Ami straightened herself beneath the intense gaze, lifting her chin defiantly.

"I walked all this way. I'll take it to her."

Haruka tensed, but Michiru backstepped and the racer obediently followed the pull of her, leaving Ami enough room to squeeze through the small entrance. Ami smiled to herself, relishing the small victory as she took the steps two at a time enroute to Hotaru's room.

* * *

By the time the Hotaru's door finally swung open, Ami had nailed the color of the carpet somewhere between seashell and cream, but definitely not ivory. Her cheeks were warm as she clutched the book between twitching fingers.

"_Nice_ jacket."

The blunette smiled in response, as the shorter woman leaned against door-frame, crossing her arms to take in the bluenette's form. Hotaru leaned forward, tugging at a corner of the fabric testily between fingers.

"Leather?"

"Heh, yeah. Found it buried in my closet. Thought you'd like."

The Senshi of Silence lifted an appreciative eyebrow, eyeing the full figure in front of her before slowly lifting her eyes back up.  
"Looks good on you. But what brings such a pretty girl to my door on a Thursday evening?"

Ami handed the heavy text back with a grin.  
"You forgot this yesterday."

"Ah, and you came all this way just to return it to little ol' me?"

The blunette shrugged, dipping her hands into back pockets, the blush still itching at her cheeks as the girl studied her.  
"I figured you needed it."

"Hmm. My knight in shining leather armor."

* * *

_I wonder if I can get her to the shade of cherry..._

She dragged a slow toe along calf, watching from the corner of her eye as Ami's blush deepened. The girl nodded avidly, never tearing her eyes from Michiru's as they conversed lightly across the table.

Michiru's words were light and breezy across the table.  
"Well, you'll be one of the best. You'd be surprised how many opportunities open up; you'll go places."

A laugh.  
"Everyone says that, but... I'm not there _yet_. I haven't even started, not really."

"You've already given yourself a head-start. You can probably get a scholarship wherever you'd like, and you're working on prep classes as well. Besides, Hotaru demands the best and she'll expect the same of you. She won't let you down."

"No, _that_'s not gonna happ-"  
Her papa's words were cut short by a flinch. A vein pulsed in her neck but her mouth stayed clamped shut. Hotaru chuckled to herself as she watched Michiru's smile grow wider, tucking hand into Haruka's own and leaning against the lank frame. _Papa's shins must be horribly sore by now..._

"I'm sure the both of you will be fine."  
Michiru's voice was silky-smooth as she regarded the both of them. Ami gulped, placing her chopsticks down with a look of panic in her eyes, the blush deepening as Hotaru graced a toe down calf.

Ami coughed, and Hotaru pulled her foot away for the first time, regarding her.  
"Ahhh.. Well... You never know how things turn out."

_What did she mean by that? _

As if on cue, Ami's eyes swiveled to fall upon her.

_Oh, don't point those pouty, pretty eyes at me after what you just said!_

The blue orbs dropped away, and Ami picked her chopsticks up again without another word.

"Destiny is a funny thing. Nothing happens effortlessly. Some things are set in time, landmarks scattered across our timeline while others, we must build ourselves."  
The room settled on Setsuna, sitting statuesquely as she ate, silent up to this point.

_What. _ Hotaru shook her head, dropping her chopsticks and pushing herself away from the table with a huff. "May I be excused?" She held out a hand to the girl next to her. "C'mon, Ames. You haven't seen the rest of the house."

"...Ah."

Ami paused, Hotaru stopping mid-step beside her, and shot a glance at Haruka, a table full of empty dinner dishes between them. Haruka said nothing, but leaned her chair back on two legs, a taunting glint in her eye as she linked fingers behind head. Michiru only smiled up at them for an instant, before wordlessly rising and starting to clear the table.

Hotaru opened her mouth to speak but paused, clamping it back shut when she saw the silent challenge between the wind and water senshi.

Haruka's shoulders stiffened sharply.

Ami nodded, tightening her hold on Hotaru's hand within her own.  
"...Yeah, that sounds good."

Hotaru could have sworn Haruka gave her a ghost of an appreciative nod as she pulled Ami along.

* * *

The plate landed in front of her along with the titter of her lover. Michiru slid into the empty seat next to her as Haruka watched the retreating backs of her daughter and new-found girlfriend. She tore her eyes away to see a second piece of cake sitting in front of her, as a warm hand laid on her shoulder.

"What's this?"

Michiru smiled, laying a kiss on her cheek as she picked up a fork.  
"Second Dessert, for behaving. It was so NICE of you, to ask Ami to stay for dinner."

Haruka smiled, biting into the soft confection.  
"Mmmmm. Well, I maintain I was forced into it..."

"Possibly. It was so considerate of Ami to bring her her book. See, not the devil-spawn, that one."

Haruka hummed into her cake, raising her eyes to where she pictured the girls wandering about on the upper floor.  
"Hmmm. Still don't trust her yet. But it was fun to watch her squirm... What are they even doing up there?"

Haruka tried to get up, but a mock slap landed on her arm, and she half-heartedly deflected the blows until she finally gave up and settled back into her seat.

"They're _talking_. Let them talk!"

"_Talk_? Is that what you think they are doing? I don't want them to _talk_. You think I'm being too hard on Ami, but I just want what's best for Hotaru."

"Hotaru's the judge of that, not you... And it looks like she's already decided. Now c'mon, I didn't say that was the _only_ part of your reward..."

A cup landed softy on table, and both heads turned to see Setsuna gracefully rise from the table. "I think that would be my cue to go..."

* * *

The carpet was soft and plush underneath her socked feet, softening her already light, silent steps into the calm room. Ami's eyes washed over to the younger woman apprehensively, the fluidity of her form as she glided into the room. Ami felt suddenly hyper-aware of the privacy, the two of them being alone in one disclosed room for the first time.

"You sure?"

Hotaru shrugged, sliding her fingers casually across the plane of her desk before turning to Ami and leaning back against it.  
"It's fine. Michi-mama gave me the signal. We have time."

Ami arched an eyebrow curiously as she led the door silently shut behind her.  
"The signal?"

A grin spread across Hotaru's features and butterflies shot through Ami's stomach.  
"Yeah, just trust me." Hotaru reached behind her, and pulled up a folder of bound pages from her desk, and raised an eyebrow at Ami. "Thanks for letting me read this. Good story~"

She could feel the heat against her cheeks blush deeper. Suddenly, she felt entranced by the carpet beneath her. Her eyes darted across it.

A teasing smirk was now audible in the other girl's voice.  
"Hoshi. And T'Pol. Huh. Who would have guessed? ...kinda sexy. Imaginative..."

In the corner of her eyes, Ami noticed the motion of Hotaru closing upon her, but still she refused to meet her eyes. She blinked, as black-clad toes of petite feet striped in neon colors surfaced before her vision. Hesitantly, she looked up to find herself staring into Hotaru's orbs, awash with words unspoken. The blunette pulled in a sharp breath, her heart fluttering madly in her chest, fighting the instinct to flinch away. In this close proximity the delicate scents of Hotaru were overwhelming her senses; rich lavender, velvet and smooth.

The immediately pleasing scent made Ami zone out and in on the view before her, leaving her blinking at astonishing long, dark lashes. Her heart was pounding against her insides, thrumming with intensity. A lump lodged itself voraciously in her throat and she pulled in a deep breath; but that only intensified the intoxicating effect and a sudden panic vibrated to the fore of her conscious.

"Wh-ah... What now?"  
Soft fingers laid themselves against her cheek and she found herself glued, helpless under Hotaru's gentle gaze, the pull of her lips entrancing. Ami's eyes fell to study them, lush and inviting as they drew closer.

She wanted to drown in her. She smelled of lilacs, blossoming in the warm sunlight, of summer air and the creamy scent of conditioner. Silky strands of raven hair threaded their way through her fingers, the locks tangling across her palm as the delicate form pressed closer against her. She tasted rich and compelling, the sting of pepper atop a subliminal dark tone chased with the vague flavor of chocolate. Soft tongue, reminiscent of tart and dark red fruit, teased her own and she bathed in the pleasure of it, chasing it, testing it, tasting it. The soft body against her own was maddening; the fingers claiming her, enthralling.

She suddenly found herself swimming within the pools of Hotaru's eyes and pulling deep lungfuls of air into heaving lungs.

She was beautiful.

For a moment, she tried to remember how to breathe - contemplating over the beauty that stood before her. The perfect face and lips still only a breath in front of her. The slim body, bearing such subtle strength. And her mere presence held so much power over her, leaving her at the hand and lead of the smaller girl.

Suddenly, something sharp and rough collided against her back and she blinked to find herself pressed against Hotaru's desk, trapped there between the unyielding furniture and the soft constraint of Hotaru's warm and tempting body.

Ami stood wide-eyed, the room swarming around her. Her senses were over-saturated; the room, the scents around her, swirling and mashing in her mind against the foreground of Hotaru before her, who stood out in perfect clarity. Almost painfully sharp on her senses, which were about to buckle, drowning her beneath the weight of her own inability to block anything out in her overly aware, stunned state.

With dark allurement the young woman pulled back, taking mercy on Ami's plagued senses and studying her. After a moment, Hotaru took a minuscule step back and the cold air rushing against Ami felt frigid and unforgiving, harsh in the silence of the suddenly alienating room. A mix of relief and tragedy washed over her, deprived of the touch she ached for so badly..

Ami dropped her head, diverting her eyes to calm the rushing blood in her head and rapid pounding of her heart. Her body tried to follow the sweet touch of Hotaru, but she caught herself, leaning against the solidity of the desk, anchoring herself as her legs still shivered from Saturn's touch.

She blinked, the frigid air distilling her formerly muddled senses, and she realized that the other girl had spoken. She shook her head against the confusion, clawing for clarity.

"...What?"

..._Stop._

She realized with mixed emotions that Hotaru had stepped further away, just out of arm's reach, regarding her with a studied expression.  
"What's wrong?"

The blunette tried to form words. But the face before her was still dark with desire, and the words caught and tangled themselves upon her tongue. Biting her own lips, she helplessly watched on as Hotaru slowly backed away, until she settled herself across from her on her bed, carefully tucking her skirt beneath her legs for decency, without taking her eyes off Ami, a quiet surrender about her features.

"Yukibara. What's wrong."

Soft spoken though they were, the words rang in her ears and she shook her head against the shock of them. Her fingers itched for the feel of that warm skin beneath them, but with a sigh she clenched against the cold wood of the desk and willed breath to return to her lungs. Her mouth opened to speak but she found herself at a loss for words, a rare thing in her world that left her shaken and rattled.

She clamped her mouth shut, turning away and squeezing her eyes from the bright light of the room. When she opened her eyes to see Hotaru, the craving grew stronger but she clenched her jaw against it, her lips pressed to a thin line. Forcibly she strung out the words, almost hissing them out.

"I'm... not... prepared for this."

Hotaru's eyes went cold.  
"What?"

The single syllable cut through the air with such transcendence, Ami suddenly found herself aching for the silence. She cringed while the harsh word settled into the empty room, amplifying the space between them. Suddenly, she was parched. The collar of her shirt was hot, tight and oppressive against her throat. She refused to meet the eyes that she knew to consider her, burdensome and heavy. With a huff, she pushed herself from the desk, balancing her weight on unsteady legs.

With another sigh, she sat on the floor before the girl, just out of arm's reach, settling her own skirt around her, plucking at the seams as she searched for the right words. Why did words escape her, now, when she yearned, needed them so badly, so vitally? The mauves were waiting for her, patiently, the temper fading into a questionable calm.

"And what if... What if we don't work?"

Ami took a sobering breath.  
"What if.. we are too different? Like, maybe you'll wake up one morning and decide that I am not your type after all, not exciting enough, that I'm actually quite boring and not very entertaining, and I read too much-.. What about... everything else. We can't just walk away from this. It's not that simple. If we lose; we lose everything. The consequences-"

"Consequences?"  
In a tone of confusion and untamed temper, the darkened mauves settled upon Ami.

The emotions flashed across the porcelain face so quickly and intensely, the genius had trouble placing all of them.

The silence blanketed the room; Ami found herself greedy for words, but only the shallow dry breath of loss rattled in her throat. Hotaru's voice was heavy and strained; her eyes shining with unshed tears of anger.  
"_Don't talk to me about consequences._"

Ami gasped, rushed and desperate for words, but the bitterness was unforgiving in Hotaru's eyes and on her tongue and they cut into her, stinging and sharp.

"I've destroyed entire worlds. Tore myself apart for their annihilation and rebirth. Civilizations, monuments, generations evaporated in an instant - by MY hand. Do you think that I do not know of consequences?"

The words were hash, brutal, shoring against the room. Every fiber of Ami screamed to speak but her lips fell mute. She was bound, wordless and silent, as the anger turned to hurt across Hotaru's features and Ami was nothing but helpless, numb and stupid to watch.

"Do you not know, that not just I, but _Saturn_ asks of you? Do you not know the feeling of the other, the stronger, the soldier; pecking and probing and questioning? Each and every - Single - Moment. 'When will we talk to her today,' she wonders. 'Where is your Ami,' she asks, 'and where is my Mercury?'. Do you not know, that you make Saturn's knees go weak, bring a smile to the death senshi's lips?! When I get butterflies in my stomach, I get them two fold! Saturn has destroyed entire galaxies, without question, without remorse, yet you stop her in her tracks! That you, YOU, are the only thing in the world, that soothes that pain of a thousand deaths? You know the power you hold - yet you question it, question _me_? You think I don't ponder those consequences, even still with the blood of countless worlds on my hands?"

The tears were cascading down Hotaru's cheeks, staining them a dark shade of somber, but still Ami's tongue rebelled, stale and limp within her mouth. _Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Say something, say anything!_

The silence stretched between them for an eternity. Desolate, Ami stared at the pained creature, praying for words, for sanctuary; to carry on herself all the dreadful weight, away from the young, wise angel before her. Instead, she only stood - forsaken, dumb and voiceless.

Hotaru waited, but the hurt turned to betrayal across her face and she turned away, those frail shoulders heavy with the weight upon them. Her voice was cold and quiet.  
"You can leave."

* * *

Omake time:

#Ruka after Hota and Ami broke up:  
"See?! The ONE time we let them alone in a room, THIS is what happens. What did I tell you? See, now she broke my little daughter's heart, now I have to kill her!"  
Michi, very calm: "You are _not_ gonna kill a sailor senshi."

#Michiru keeping score in her head for Ruka's reactions during dinner:  
-Ooooh, pulsing vein! ten points!  
-Aaaaannnddd bait her in, THERE it is! Now kick to the shin, and there's the vein! 25 points! :D :D And a little hug for good measure.


End file.
